THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


LESSONS 


ON  THE 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  LIFE. 


"He  who  seeth  Me  in  all  things  and  all  things 
in  Me,  looseneth  not  his  hold  on  Me,  and  I  for- 
sake him  not. " 


LUCIE  G.   BECKHAM. 

A  L  A  M  K  U  A  ,        C  A  L  I  F  O  R  KTI  A  , 

1  8O9. 


3V 


In  the  Truth  presented  in  these  lessons  is 
Spirit,  and  is  Life  for  all  who  open  their  hearts 
to  receive. 

Expect  as  you  read,   to  be  healed. 


LlBRARv 


Wesson  \. 


The  Basic  Principle — Cod. 

We  are  to  deal  with  the  Philosophy  of  Life,  there- 
fore we  have  to  do,  first  with  the  Source  of  Life,  the 
Creator. 

Inherent  with  man  is  some  conception  of  a  su- 
preme, overruling,  creative  Deity.  The  name  that  is 
given  this  Source  of  Being  is  not  an  essential  point. 
Whether  man  calls  his  Deity  Great  First  Cause, 
First  Principle,  Creative  Force,  Supreme  Law,  Great 
Spirit,  Brahma,  Tao,  or  God,  he  refers  to  the  one 
Fountain-head  or  Source.  Man  has  for  ages  been 
quibbling  over  words.  As  we  place  ourselves  upon 
a  broader  platform,  looking  to  the  esoteric,  in  the 
depths  of  which  all  differences  may  be  harmonized, 
rather  than  continuing  to  stumble  over  mere  surface 
discrepancies,  we  realize  that  to  whatever  time,  peo- 
ple, nation  or  religion  we  belong,  all  emanate  from 
one  Creator  and  all  are  seeking  one  end — Freedom. 

' '  That  which  exists  is  One,  sages  call  it  variously. " 
— Rigveda. 

Throughout  Christendom  we  are  accustomed  to 
the  name  God  ;  for  this  reason  we  will  adhere  to 
that  name. 

There  are  many  people  who  call  themselves  athe- 
ists because  they  have  rejected  the  idea  of  a  personal 


6  The  Basic  Principle — God. 

God.  Strictly  speaking  such  people  are  not  athe- 
ists. While  it  is  true  that  there  are  those  who  do 
not  believe  in  the  traditional  conception  of  God,  I 
refute  the  idea  that  there  is  one  who  does  not  believe 
in  God  as  He  is.  "  When  we  have  broken  the  God 
of  tradition,  and  ceased  from  the  God  of  rhetoric, 
then  may  God  fire  the  heart  with  His  presence," 
says  Emerson. 

James  Freeman  Clark,  in  his  "Ten  Great  Relig- 
ions," says:  "We  are  too  apt  to  s-iy  that  a  man 
has  no  religion  who  has  a  religion  different  from  our- 
selves ;  that  a  man  has  no  Christ  who  believes  in 
other  forms  of  Christianity  than  ours,  and  that  a 
man  is  without  God  who  worships  the  Deity  by  other 
forms  than  our  own."  The  reason  that  many  think- 
ing people  have  considered  themselves  and  have 
been  called  atheists,  is  because  they  have  reached  a 
place  where  they  can  no  longer  be  bound  by  the 
limitations  of  tradition.  "Socrates,"  says  Clark, 
' '  Was  called  an  atheist  because  his  conception  of  the 
Deity  was  higher  than  that  of  his  contemporaries." 

God  is  not  a  particularized  being,  an  embodied 
personality,  located  in  some  far  away  and  unknown 
heaven,  seated  upon  a  throne,  dealing  out  good  and 
evil,  reward  and  punishment,  as  might  some  mortal 
king.  God  is  the  great  Law  that  governs  the  uni- 
verse. God  is  the  Principle  of  Being.  God  is  the 
great  Spirit  of  the  Good. 

In  the  fourth  chapter  of  John,  twenty-fourth  verse, 
of  the  King  James  version  of  the  Bible,  we  read  that 


The  Basic  Principle— Cod.  7 

Jesus  Christ  said,  "God  is  a  Spirit."  The  original 
Greek  reads,  "Spirit  the  God.  is  ;"  in  other  words, 
the  God  is  Spirit.  Know  the  Truth  then,  about 
God,  and  regard  Him  not  as  a  Spirit,  but  as  the 
Spirit  or  Substance  of  all  that  is. 

As  we  deepen  and  broaden  our  vision  so  that  our 
spiritual  horizon  can  no  longer  be  encompassed  by 
the  limitations  of  a  personal  God,  we  understand 
that  everyone  believes  in  God.  I  make  this  state- 
ment because  it  is  a  fact  known  to  those  who  have 
studied  mankind  with  relation  to  its  religious  tend- 
ency, that  however  primitive  the  race  to  which  he 
belongs,  there  is  in  the  soul  of  man  an  innate 
recognition  of  a  creative  Source,  whatever  name  he 
may  give  it.  Another,  and  more  apparent  reason 
is,  that  every  man  believes  in  some  form,  or  has 
some  conception  of  the  Good,  and  however  limited 
this  may  be,  it  measures  his  belief  in  God. 

Many  people,  while  acknowledging  that  they 
believe  in  universal  brotherhood,  in  charity,  in 
justice,  in  integrity,  and  while  living  to  a  large 
extent  in  accord  with  their  belief,  will  tell  you  that 
they  do  not  believe  in  God.  It  is  impossible  for 
one  to  believe  in  the  Good  and  not  believe  in  God, 
for  God  is  the  Good.  The  word  God  comes  from 
an  Anglo-Saxon  word  meaning  good. 

Whatever  variation  there  has  been  in  the  great 
mind  of  man  concerning  his  idea  of  God,  all  have 
conceived  of  Him  as  supreme  and  good.  If  God 
is  supreme  and  good,  God  must  be  the  very  acme 


The  Basic  Principle — God. 

of  Goodness,  the  Good  itself.  If  God  is  the  Good, 
we.  may  attribute  to  the  Godhead  all  the  qualities 
that  can  be  placed  under  the  head  of  universal 
Good.  When  I  speak  of  God  as  the  Good,  I  do 
not  refer  to  relative  good,  that  good  which  is  good 
for  you  and  not  for  your  neighbor,  or  good  for  you 
today  and  not  tomorrow,  but  I  refer  to  that  Good 
which  belongs  to  all  people  throughout  all  time. 
This  universal  Good  may  be  classified  under  such 
heads  as  Love,  Wisdom,  Life,  Power,  Purity, 
Satisfaction,  Peace,  Health,  Light,  Substance. 

God  having  any  quality  of  Goodness,  being 
supreme  Source,  He  is  that  quality  itself.  If  God 
is  loving,  God  must  be  Love ;  if  God  lives,  God 
must  be  Life  ;  if  God  is  pure,  God  must  be  Purity  ; 
if  God  is  omniscient,  God  must  be  Omniscience  ; 
if  God  is  omnipotent,  God  must  be  Omnipotence  ; 
if  God  is  omnipresent,  God  must  be  Omnipresence  ; 
God  is,  therefore,  Love  itself,  Wisdom  itself,  Life 
itself,  Power  itself,  Purity  itself,  Peace  itself,  Health 
itself,  the  Good  itself. 

The  Truth  denies  that  God  is  unknowable,  and 
far  removed  from  the  daily  life,  but  teaches  us  that 
He  is  as  near  as  the  throbbing  of  our  own  hearts. 
'  'Our  God  is  never  so  far  off  as  even  to  be  near,  He 
is  within."  Let  us  bridge  over  the  chasm  which  we 
have  placed  between  ourselves  and  our  Creator,  by 
looking  within  the  depths  of  our  own  being,  where 
the  one  great  master  who  demonstrated  his  knowl- 
edge of  God  declared  God  to  be.  When  the 


The  Basic  Principle — God.  9 

Pharisee  asked  Jesus  Christ  when  the  Kingdom  of 
God  should  come,  he  answered  :  "  The  Kingdom 
of  God  cometh  not  with  outward  show,  neither  shall 
they  say,  '  Lo  here,  or  lo  there  !'  for  behold,  the 
Kingdom  of  God  is  within  you." 

The  Kingdom  of  God  is  the  kingdom  of  Love, 
Wisdom,  Life,  Harmony,  All  Good,  and  the 
Substance  of  all  these  is  within  you. 

Paul  declared  to  them  who  were  worshipping  an 
unknown  and  unknowable  God,  "As  I  passed  by 
and  beheld  your  devotions,  I  found  an  altar  with 
this  inscription,  'TO  THE  UNKNOWN  GOD.' 
Whom  therefore  ye  ignorantly  worship,  him  declare 
I  unto  you.  God  that  made  the  world  and  all 
things  therein,  seeing  that  He  is  Lord  of  Heaven 
and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands,  neither  is  worshipped  with  men's  hands,  as 
though  He  needed  anything,  seeing  He  giveth  to 
all  life  and  breath,  and  all  things,  and  hath  made  of 
one  blood  all  nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  hath  determined  the  times 
appointed,  and  the  bounds  of  their  habitation,  that 
they  might  seek  the  Lord  if  haply  they  might  feel 
after  Him  and  find  Him,  though  He  be  not  far 
away  from  every  one  of  us  ;  for  in  Him  we  live, 
move  and  have  our  being. ' ' 

God  is  the  great  unmanifest,  but  man  is  the  man- 
ifestor.  It  is  the  true  mission  of  man  to  manifest 
God  the  Good.  All  Good  is  from  God,  and  in  the 
degree  that  we  are,  in  consciousness,  severed  from 


io  The  Basic  Principle — Cod. 

God,  we  are  cut  off  from  all  that  makes  up  the 
Godhead ;  from  all  that  belongs  to  the  highest 
Good — Happiness,  Health,  Prosperity,  Life,  name 
it  what  you  will. 

Let  us  here  consider  some  of  the  God  qualities . 
The  Love  that  is  God  is  not  merely  that  which  is 
known  to  the  human  heart  ;  that  which  is  centered 
upon  a  few  to  the  exclusion  of  many.  It  is  not  that 
love  which  goes  forth  only  to  the  lovable,  to  the 
friend  and  neighbor,  but  it  is  that  pure,  unselfish, 
universal  Love  which  goes  out  to  all  alike  ;  to  the 
good  and  evil  ;  to  the  lovable  and  the  unlovable  ; 
to  the  friend  and  the  enemy,  without  question, 
without  discrimination.  "  For  He  is  kind  to  the 
unthankful  and  to  the  evil." 

The  Life  that  is  God  is  that  which  permeates  and 
animates  the  manifest  universe  from  the  microcosm 
to  the  macrocosm.  All  Life  is  God,  whatever  its 
form  of  expression  ;  whether  it  be  manifest  in  the 
worm  that  crawls  in  the  dust  or  in  the  highest  type 
of  man.  The  Life  in  all  nature  is  God  ;  that  which 
is  in  the  plant,  in  the  rock,  in  the  sky  or  in  the  sea. 
The  Life  that  is  God  cannot  be  encompassed  by 
man's  limit  of  three  score  years  and  ten.  It  cannot 
be  touched  by  death.  It  is  unchangeable,  eternal. 

The  Health  that  is  God  is  not  what  we  have 
today  and  lose  tomorrow,  but  it  is  that  which  is 
beyond  the  touch  of  corruption — perfect,  unchang- 
ing Wholeness. 


The  Basic  Principle— Cod.  n 

The  Power  that  is  God,  is  that  which  admits  of 
no  failure,  that  which  is  Omnipotence. 

The  Wisdom  that  is  God  is  not  confined  to  the 
capacity  of  man's  brain,  but  is  that  which  including 
human  intellect,  is  infinitely  superior  to  it.  It  is 
Omniscience,  All  Knowledge. 

The  Peace  that  is  God  is  not  that  which  can  ever 
give  place  to  inharmony.  It  is  "  The  Peace  that 
passeth  all  understanding,"  and  endureth  forever. 

The  Substance  that  is  God  is  not  matter.  Matter 
is  a  collective  name  for  that  which  is  changeable, 
mortal,  and  limited.  Substance  is  that  which  is 
unchangeable,  immortal,  unlimited  ;  the  reality  of 
material  things — Spirit.  There  is  in  reaiity  no  such 
thing  as  matter  in  the  sense  that  the  word  is 
generally  used.  There  is  only  one  Substance,  one 
Presence,  the  Spirit  of  God  which  permeates  all 
that  is.  Everything  in  the  visible  universe  throbs 
with  life.  Life  is  Omnipresent.  Even  materialists 
have  recognized  the  fact  that  matter  is  motion,  that 
all  material  things  are  composed  of  atoms,  and  that 
each  atom  is  separate  and  distinct  from  every  other 
atom  ;  that  all  matter  is  permeated  with  ether,  just 
what  this  subtle  substance  is  that  is  called  ether, 
is  beyond  the  ken  of  the  materialist.  Edison  says 
that  he  is  convinced  that  every  molecule  of  matter 
has  a  center  not  only  of  intelligence,  but  of  force. 
The  inevitable  conclusion  is  that  all  is  Spirit. 
Whatever  the  line  of  investigation,  the  scientist  is 
invariably  brought  to  a  point  where  he  re^o^nizes 


12  The  Basic  Principle— Cod. 

a  force  or  substance  which  is  beyond  the  power  of 
analysis.  This  unknown  entity  is  Spirit, -the  all- 
pervading,  unchanging,  Substance  of  the  visible 
universe.  Matter  has  been  tersely  defined  as  Spirit 
at  the  lowest  rate  of  vibration. 

We  realize  that  we  cannot  conceive  of  God  in  the 
highest  at  this  time,  nor  use  what  language  we 
will,  can  we  describe  Him.  Our  one  object  in 
entering  upon  the  discussion  of  the  God-head,  is  to 
bring  to  the  consciousness  of  each  one  the  recogni- 
tion of  his  nearness  to  God,  and  God's  nearness  to 
him.  We  must  bring  God  from  the  realm  of  the 
unknowable  into  the  knowable.  Let  us  no  longer 
try  to  be  content  with  the  far  away  God,  but  learn 
to  know  the  Omnipresent  God.  We  must  know 
the  God  of  Love,  not  wrath  ;  the  God  that  blesses, 
not  punishes  ;  that  heals,  not  afflicts.  Not  only  is 
God  the  Father  Principle,  but  the  Mother  Principle, 
also.  The  word  Jehovah  means  the  two-fold  entity  ; 
the  generative  Principle  in  its  dual  aspect  of  male  and 
female  combined  ;  the  androgynous,  undivided  One. 
In  Infinite  Majesty,  Power,  Strength,  Protection, 
Wisdom,  we  know  the  Fatherhood  of  God  ;  in 
Infinite  Love,  Tenderness,  Grace,  Purity,  Beauty, 
we  know  the  Motherhood  of  God. 

Only  as  we  fulfill  our  divine  mission  of  manifesting 
the  highest  Good,  can  we  grow  into  the  consciousness 
of  our  true  relationship  with  God.  It  is  written  that 
man  is  created  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God,  and 
we  have  reasoned  falsely,  saying  :  "  If  I  am  in  the 


The  Basic  Principle — God.  13 

image  and  likeness  of  God,  God  must  be  like  me," 
while  the  true  reasoning  is,  "  If  I  am  in  the  image  and 
likeness  of  God,  I  must  know  myself  as  God-like." 
The  work  of  the  spiritual  life  is  to  lift  the  soul  to  a 
consciousness  of  its  oneness  with  God,  the  highest 
Good.  To  do  this,  we  hold  ever  before  us  as  a 
point  of  attainment,  the  highest  ideal  of  Goodness. 
Becoming  at-one  with  this  ideal,  we  shall  find  a  still 
higher  beyond.  In  this  way  does  our  knowledge 
of  the  Deity  deepen  and  broaden  as  we  advance. 
Thus  does  God  become  to  us  the  fulfillment  of  every 
need  of  the  human  heart. 

In  conclusion  of  this  first  lesson,  you  are  admon- 
ished to  begin  at  once  to  make  the  Truth  you  are 
investigating  practical,  by  repeating  this  statement  : 
"God,  the  Good,  is  the  only  Power  and  the  only 
Presence."  The  one  who  is  faithful  to  the  repetition 
of  this  statement  in  his  heart,  will  have  its  attendant 
blessings  revealed  to  him. 

Statements  for  meditation  will  be  placed  after  each 
lesson. 

STATEM  EN  TS 

God  is  the  omnipresent  Good. 
God  is  all  there  is  in  the  realm  of  reality,  hence 
there  is  only  the  Good. 
God  is  Spirit. 
God  is  omnipresent. 

Spirit  is  all  there  is  in  the  realm  of  reality. 
Omnipotent  Love  is  omnipresent.     Omnipotent 


14  The  Basic  Principle— Cod. 

Life  is  omnipresent.  Omnipotent  Wisdom  is 
omnipresent.  Omnipotent  Purity  is  omnipresent. 
Omnipotent  Harmony  is  omnipresent.  Omnipotent 
Peace  is  omnipresent.  Omnipotent  Health  is 
omnipresent.  Omnipotent  Substance  is  omni- 
present. Omnipotent  Good  is  omnipresent. 
Only  the  Good  is  true. 


The  Divine  Self.  15 


Wesson  \\. 


The  Divine  Self. 

Let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  our  basic  principle. 
God  is  the  omniscient,  omnipotent,  omnipresent 
Good.  While  God  is  not  embodied  in  a  personal- 
ity, God  is  the  embodiment  of  all  that  can  be  placed 
under  the  head  of  absolute  Good. 

Keeping  ever  before  us  this  one  idea  of  the  Creator, 
we  will  dwell  in  this  second  lesson  upon  the  creation — 
Man  in  his  true  relation  to  God.  ' '  Know  Thyself, ' ' 
is  ever  the  command  of  the  sage.  Man  cannot  know 
himself  without  knowing  God,  neither  can  he  know 
God  without  knowing  himself. 

That  man  is  in  very  truth  created  in  the  image 
and  likeness  of  God,  is  the  basic  principle  upon 
which  the  redemption  of  mankind  rests.  To  know 
man  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God,  means  to 
know  him  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  all  that  is 
comprised  in  the  Godhead — Love,  Wisdom,  Purity, 
Wholeness,  the  highest  Good. 

Man  in  reality  is  a  thought  of  God.  God  is 
Wisdom,  God  is  Spirit.  If  God  is  Wisdom  and 
Spirit,  He  is  also  Mind.  We  cannot  conceive  of 
Wisdom  or  Intelligence  apart  from  Mind,  neither 
can  we  think  of  Spirit  apart  from  Mind. 


16  The  Divine  Self. 

By  glancing  at  the  definitions  of  the  words  Spirit 
and  Mind,  we  find  them  in  meaning  synonymous. 
Webster  defines  them  as  follows:  ' '  Spirit :  an  intelli- 
gence conceived  apart  from  any  physical  organism 
or  embodiment ;  the  intelligent,  immaterial,  immortal 
part  of  man.  Mind  :  the  entire  spiritual  nature,  the 
soul,  that  which  thinks,  feels,  wills,  and  desires — 
Spirit."  Mind  is  the  Creator,  man  is  the  creation. 
The  creation  of  Mind  is  thought,  and  is  like  unto 
the  Mind  that  gave  it  birth,  hence  we  find  that  man 
is  a  thought  of  God. 

In  considering  our  basic  principle  in  the  first 
lesson,  we  dwelt  upon  the  God -qualities,  because 
all  that  God  is,  man  is  in  his  true  selfhood,  and  of 
this  he  must  ultimately  become  conscious.  ' '  Now 
are  we  the  sons  of  God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear 
what  we  shall  become." 

God  the  Good  will  ever  remain  the  unmanifest 
except  as  man  fulfills  his  divine  duty,  or  rather 
accepts  his  divine  privilege  to  make  it  manifest. 
The  reason  the  world,  today,  knows  so  little  of  the 
highest  Good,  is  because  man  is  considering  himself 
incapable  of  its  expression.  If  we  would  know  the 
Love,  Wisdom,  Purity,  Health,  Freedom,  that  are 
of  God  and  are  God,  we  must  take  our  stand  to  be 
open  avenues  for  their  manifestation.  This  we  will 
be  able  to  do  only  as  we  realize  that  we  are  divine. 

Nearly  all  people  believe  in  the  existence  of  a 
"  Divine  spark"  in  the  soul  of  man,  but  few  have 
realized  the  necessity  of  going  further  than  this. 


The  Divine  Self.  17 

Not  only  has  man  a  divine  spark  within  his  soul, 
buried  under  ignorance  and  materiality,  but  that 
spark  is  capable  of  being  fanned  into  a  flame  that 
shall  illumine  all  the  darkness.  In  other  words,  in 
each  one  is  a  divine  Self.  Not  only  are  we  to  recog- 
nize this  divine  Self,  but  we  are  to  express  it  in  the 
fullness.  All  the  great  philosophers  have  taught 
the  divine  Self,  and  the  time  is  now  ripe  for  this 
great  fundamental  Truth  to  become  the  corner-stone 
of  the  living  temple  each  one  must  build  unto  God. 
' '  Ye  are  the  temple  of  the  living  God, ' '  says  the 
Spirit  of  Wisdom  through  Paul. 

When  I  speak  of  man  as  divine,  perfect  in  the 
image  and  likeness  of  the  highest  Good,  I  do  not 
refer  to  the  sinful,  corrupt,  limited  creature,  into 
which  man  has  allowed  his  consciousness  to  degen- 
erate. I  do  not  call  that  which  is  impure,  pure  ; 
that  which  is  limited,  unlimited,  or  that  which  is 
mortal,  divine.  Every  one  is  conscious  of  the  dual 
self,  or  the  two  selves  :  the  lower  self,  the  one  that 
is  holding  us  down  under  materiality  and  error, 
doing  the  things  we  would  not  do,  and  leaving 
undone  the  things  we  would  do  ;  and  the  higher 
Self,  the  one  who  speaks  to  us  in  our  best  moments, 
who  loves,  sacrifices,  who  aspires  to  higher  things, 
the  Self  we  may  have  named  the  conscience.  The 
lower  self  is  the  mortal,  carnal,  false-thinking  one. 
It  has  no  real  entity,  no  eternal  foundation  upon 
which  to  stand,  and  can  endure  only  through  man's 
recognition  and  acknowledgment.  The  higher  Self 


i8  The  Divine  Self. 

is  the  real,  true  Self,  the  one  that  God  created,  the 
only  begotten  Son  of  God.  All  the  Good  you  realize 
is  the  consciousness  of  the  divine  One,  or  true  Self. 
All  the  consciousness  of  evil  or  error  within  you  is 
the  false  one.  All  within  you  that  stands  opposed 
to  the  higher  or  real  Self,  belongs  to  the  realm  of 
the  seeming,  and  is  to  be  overcome,  and  reduced  to 
the  nothingness  from  which  it  sprang.  God  did 
not  create  two  selves,  one  good  and  one  evil.  He 
created  but  one  out  of  the  substance  of  Himself. 
Our  work  is  to  overcome  the  false  self,  that  we  may 
become  fully  conscious  of  the  true  Self. 

In  the  past  we  have  not  thought  it  possible  to 
overcome  our  lower  natures,  our  tempers,  greeds, 
passions  and  emotions.  We  have  been  taught  that 
we  could  not  possibly  attain  beyond  a  certain 
mediocre  point  of  goodness  ;  that  we  are  naturally 
depraved,  mortal,  and  carnal.  Perfection  has  never 
been  expected  of  human  nature,  yet  the  greatest 
master  the  world  has  ever  known  not  only  exempli- 
fied self  mastery  in  his  own  life,  but  gave  this  mandate 
to  all  mankind,  "  Be  ye  perfect,  even  as  your  Father 
in  Heaven  is  perfect."  All  the  promises  are  given 
to  him  who  overcometh.  Had  it  not  been  possible 
for  man  to  attain  perfection,  Jesus  Christ  would  not 
have  thus  admonished  him. 

However  we  may  view  Jesus  Christ,  we  must 
concede  that  he  spoke  no  idle  words.  If  we  regard 
him  simply  as  a  good  man  and  great  philosopher, 
inasmuch  as  he  demonstrated  his  principles,  we  must 


The  Divine  Self.  19 

give  them  due  consideration.    If  we  regard  him  as  the 
Messiah,  we  must  accept  and  practice  his  teachings. 

Do  not  limit  yourself  by  adhering  to  the  old  idea 
that  it  is  blasphemous  to  say  that  you  are  divine  as 
Jesus  was  divine.  No  one  has  ever  so  plainly  and 
clearly  delineated  the  divinity  of  all  mankind  as  did 
Jesus  Christ  himself.  Jesus  declared,  "  I  and  my 
Father  are  one,"  and  the  Jews  took  up  stones  to 
stone  him,  saying  :  "  For  a  good  work  we  stone 
thee  not  ;  but  for  blasphemy,  and  because  thou 
being  a  man,  maketh  thyself  God."  Then  Jesus 
quoted  their  scripture,  "  Is  it  not  written  in  your  law  : 
'  I  said  ye  are  Gods?' ):  That  to  which  he  referred 
is  found  in  Psalms  :  "I  have  said  ye  are  gods,  and 
all  of  you  are  children  of  the  Most  High."  Jesus 
continues:  "Though  ye  believe  not  me,  believe 
the  works,  that  ye  may  know  and  believe  that  the 
Father  is  in  me  and  /  in  Him  ;"  and  again  they 
sought  to  take  him.  The  same  state  of  mind  that 
cried  "blasphemy,"  when  Jesus  Christ  declared  his 
divinity,  nineteen  hundred  years  ago,  cries  "blas- 
phemy" today  to  those  who  claim  their  divine 
nature.  This  state  of  mind  belongs  to  those  who 
are  living  in  the  letter,  who  are  still  in  the  old  Mosaic 
consciousness,  and  have  not  penetrated  into  the 
spirit  of  the  Christ  teachings.  Every  declaration 
that  Jesus  made  for  himself,  he  made  in  substance 
for  all  who  would  live  his  principles.  In  the  four- 
teenth chapter  of  John,  we  read  : 

' '  I  will  come  again  and  receive  you  unto  myself, 


20  The  Divine  Self. 

that  where  I  am  (in  the  Father),  there  ye  may  be 
also." 

"Believe  me  that  1  am  in  the  Father,  and  the 
Father  in  me. " 

"  I  will  pray  the  Feather,  and  He  shall  give  you 
another  comforter  whom  the  world  cannot  receive, 
because  it  seeth  Him  not,  neither  knoweth  Him, 
but  ye  know  Him,  for  He  dwelleth  with  you,  and 
shall  be  in  you.  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless  ; 
I  will  come  to  you. 

1  'At  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  lam  in  my  Father, 
and  ye  in  me,  and  I  myou." 

"These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  being  yet 
present  with  you.  But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the 
Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name, 
he  shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to 
your  remembrance."  Thus  does  Jesus  declare  not 
only  his  own  divine  Self,  but  the  universal  divinity 
of  man.  In  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  John,  he  says  : 

"It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away,  for  if 
I  go  not  away  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto 
you,  but  if  I  depart  I  will  send  him  to  you." 

"  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  you 
cannot  bear  them  now.  Hovvbeit,  when  he  the 
Spirit  of  Truth  is  come,  he  will  lead  you  into  all 
Truth." 

Note  that  Jesus  uses  the  terms,  the  "I  AM" 
(which  he  declares  to  be  the  same  in  the  Father,  in 
himself,  and  in  you),  the  "  Holy  Ghost,"  the 


The  Divine  Self.  21 

"Comforter,"  and  the  "Spirit  of  Truth,"  synony- 
mously. He  refers  to  the  divine  Ego,  the  Christ 
Spirit,  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  which  is  the 
Christ  Spirit,  or  the  divine  One  in  all,  the  One  that 
God  created,  the  true  Self  of  every  one.  Jesus  told 
his  disciples  that  unless  he  departed  as  a  personality, 
the  Comforter  or  the  Spirit  of  Truth  would  not 
come. 

Infinite  Wisdom  knew,  and  Jesus,  holding  himself 
at  one  with  infinite  Wisdom,  knew,  that  so  long  as 
man  looked  to  a  personal  Messiah  as  the  sole 
embodiment  of  all  Godliness,  he  would  not  come 
into  the  recognition  of  the  Christ  Spirit  within. 
This  is  the  mistake  that  the  Christian  world  has 
made  during  the  centuries  since  Jesus'  manifestation 
on  the  earth. 

The  time  is  now  come  for  the  spirit  of  Jesus' 
mission  to  be  fulfilled,  and  for  man  to  come  into  the 
realization  of  the  Truth  about  his  life.  The  real 
saving  principle  is,  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  the 
Christ  that  perfectly  manifested  itself  through  Jesus, 
is  to  be  awakened  in,  and  ultimately  perfectly 
manifested  through  every  one  of  God's  children. 

''  Though  Christ  a  thousand  times  in  Bethlehem  be  born, 
If  he's  not  born  in  thee,  thy  soul  is  all  forlorn. 

Hold,  there !  where  runnest  thou,  know  heaven  is  in  thee. 
Seekestthou  for  God  elsewhere,  His  face  thou'lt  never  see. 

In  all  eternity,  no  tone  can  be  so  sweet, 

As  where  man's  heart  with  God  in  unison  doth  beat. 


22  The  Divine  Self. 

Whate'er  thou  lovest  man,  that  too  become  thou  must, 
God  if  thou  iovest  God,  dust  if  thou  lovest  dust. 

Ah,  would  the  heart  but  be  a  manger  for  the  birth, 
God  would  once  more  become  a  Christ  on  earth. 

Immeasurable  is  the  highest  who  but  knows  it, 
And  yet  a  human  heart  can  perfectly  inclose  it." 

The  real  purpose  of  Jesus'  ministry  was  to 
exemplify  the  perfection  of  the  divine  Man.  arid 
to  give  the  methods  and  principles  by  which  all 
might  make  the  same  attainment. 

' '  He  that  believeth  on  me  (the  divine  Me  or  Self), 
the  works  that  I  do  he  shall  do  also,  and  greater 
works  than  these  shall  he  do,  because  I  go  unto  my 
Father." 

Whenever  Jesus  spoke  of  his  personality,  it  was 
to  emphasize  its  nothingness.  "I  of  myself  can 
do  nothing,"  He  said,  and  when  one  called  him 
"Good  Master,"  addressing  him  from  the  personal 
standpoint,  he  replied,  ' '  Why  callest  thou  me  good? 
There  is  none  good  but  one,  that  is  God."  Only 
by  the  subjugation  of  his  personality,  was  Jesus 
enabled  to  stand  forth  in  his  Godliness.  There  is 
only  one  thing  that  stands  between  us  and  God, 
and  that  is  the  personal  self. 

Overcoming  personality  does  not  mean  losing  the 
individuality.  The  violet  and  the  lily,  while  they  have 
no  personality,  have  a  distinct  individuality  which 
ra- Hates  itself  in  beauty,  perfume,  and  color.  The 


The  Divine  Self.  23 

distinctive  point  between  personality  and  individual- 
ity, is  that  j[.)ej^oj^i^_deiiLandSj  and  individuality 


Of  all  the  precious  stones,  the  diamond  is  the  least 
in  itself,  and  its  very  nothingness  gives  it  the  greatest 
reflective  and  radiating-  power.  If  we  would  reflect 
and  radiate  the  Good,  we  must  become  selfless  in 
thought,  word  and  deed. 

In  further  corroboration  of  the  divine  Selfhood 
of  each  one,  note  the  prayer  of  Jesus,  found  in  the 
seventeenth  chapter  of  John.  The  whole  burden  of 
this  prayer  is  that  the  children  of  men  may  realize 
their  oneness  with  the  Father,  even  as  He  knows 
his  oneness  with  the  Father.  Possibly  you  have 
entertained  the  idea  that  Jesus  made  these  statements 
and  offered  these  prayers  concerning  the  chosen  few, 
the  disciples,  and  those  who  came  directly  in  touch 
with  his  personal  ministry  at  that  time.  Even  if  we 
could  make  this  thought  consistent  with  an  infinitely 
good  God,  and  one  who  is  no  respecter  of  persons, 
Jesus  takes  pains  to  obviate  this  possibility  in  his 
declaration,  "All  things  which  the  Father  hath  are 
mine.  "  "I  pray  for  them  which  thou  hast  given 
me  :  for  they  are  thine,  and  all  mine  are  thine,  and 
thine  are  mine,  and  I  am  glorified  in  them.'1  As 
there  are  not  two  Creators,  this  includes  all  people 
throughout  all  time. 

Nothing  is  taken  from  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ, 
but  all  are  included  under  a  universal  brotherhood 


24  The  Divine  Self. 

in  that  same  divinity.      ' '  Whosoever  shall  do  the 
will  of  God  the  same  is  my  brother. ' ' 

"  For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
they  are  the  Sons  of  God." 

"  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit 
that  we  are  the  children  of  God  ;  and  if  children, 
then  heirs,  heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ. " 

The  sense  in  which  Jesus  Christ  stands  distinct 
from  the  rest  of  mankind,  is  that  in  which  the  full 
blown  lily  stands  distinct  from,  those  less  developed, 
in  the  various  degrees  of  unfoldment.  The  same 
life,  perfume,  beauty,  is  in  the  bulb  beneath  the  earth, 
in  the  bare  stock,  leaf  and  bud,  but  it  finds  its  perfect 
expression  only  in  the  full  blown  flower.  The  Christ 
Spirit,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  Infinite  Goodness,  the 
only  begotten  Son  of  God,  the  divine  Ego,  the  Self, 
is  the  same  in  us  all,  but  it  has  reached  its  full  fruition 
only  in  Jesus.  The  rest  of  God' s  children  are  in  their 
different  stages  of  unfoldment,  all  tending  toward  the 
same  conscious  unity  with  God.  Jesus  is  the  per- 
fected manifestation  of  God  ;  you  and  I  may  be  in 
the  degree  that  we  apply  his  life  precepts. 

A  clear  understanding  of  the  false  and  the  true 
selves  will  give  you  the  principle  of  divine  healing, 
or  the  overcoming  of  any  evil  that  may  express  itself 
in  your  life.  The  self  that  can  be  sick,  sorrowful, 
dissatisfied,  poor  in  any  good  thing,  or  that  can  die, 
is  the  mortal  consciousness,  or  false  self.  As  we 
overcome  the  false  self,  we  necessarily  separate 
oun  elves  from  the  errors  that  attach  themselves  to 


The  Divine  Self.  25 

the  mortal.  Tilts  separation  from  the  false  is 
brought  about  by  the  constant  recognition  of  our 
oneness  with  the  True.  God  knows  you  only  as 
He  created  you  in  the  likeness  of  the  highest 
Good.  The  Spirit,  speaking  through  the  prophet 
Habakkuk,  says  : 

"O  Lord  my  God,  mine  Holy  One,  Thou  art  of 
purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and  canst  not  look 
on  iniquity." 

The  Good  takes  no  account  of  evil ;  Love  knows 
no  hatred  ;  Purity  knows  no  impurity  ;  Health 
knows  no  sickness  ;  Strength  knows  no  weakness  ; 
the  Light  knows  no  darkness.  We  must  know 
ourselves  as  God  knows  us. 

So  long  as  you  through  recognition  identify 
yourself  with  your  lower  nature,  you  will  express 
it  in  your  life.  '  'As  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart  so 
is  he."  Cease  to  dishonor  your  Creator  by  declar- 
ing yourself  to  be  a  miserable  sinner,  a  worm  of  the 
dust,  unworthy  any  good  thing,  or  by  in  any  way 
belittling  His  handiwork. 

Speak  understanding! y  from  your  divine  center, 
from  your  divine  I  AM,  arid  make  declarations  of 
Truth  that  are  worthy  of  Man  as  the  noblest  work 
of  God. 

S  TAT  EM  EN  TS. 

I  am  a  thought  of  God. 

I  am  an  expression  of  divine  Mind. 

I  am  Spirit  like  my  Father,  spiritual,  not  material. 


26  The  Divine  Self. 

I  am  quickened  and  vivified  by  the  Christ  Spirit 
within  me. 

I  am  whole  as  God  is  whole. 

I  am  glorified  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  is 
glorified  in  me. 

I  of  myself  can  do  nothing. 

The  Father  in  me  doeth  the  works. 

I  of  myself  am  nothing. 

I  and  the  Father  are  one. 


The  Unradliiy  of  .Ti///.  27 


Sesson  \\\. 


The  Unreality  of  Evil. 

We  have  been  taught  much  about  the  Omnipo- 
tence, Omniscience,  and  Omnipresence  of  God, 
but  it  has  been  largely  empty  theory.  We  have 
said  that  God  is  omnipotent  and  omnipresent,  but 
we  have  demonstrated  by  our  living,  our  belief  in 
another  power  and  presence  directly  opposed  to 
God,  the  Good. 

We  have  said  God  is  everywhere  present,  but 
beware  of  evil  which  lurks  in  every  shadow.  We 
have  claimed  that  God  is  all  power,  but  that  every 
one  must  succumb  to  evil  ;  that  it  belongs  to 
humanity,  and  no  one  can  escape.  We  have  been 
educated  to  believe  that  every  one  must  know  more 
or  less  of  sin,  sickness  and  sorrow  in  life,  and  that 
all  must  end  in  death. 

We  must  turn  directly  about  and  live  the  Om- 
nipotence and  Omnipresence  of  the  Good  ;  think- 
ing, speaking,  acting  as  though  we  believe  the 
Good  to  be  the  only  Power  and  the  only  Presence. 

Let  us  reason  from  the  axiom,  God  is  real. 
If  God  is  real,   and  the  Good,  all  Power,   and 
everywhere  present>  then  all  that  stands  opposed  to 


28  The  Unreality  of  Evil. 

the  Good  must  be  unreal.  Evil,  therefore,  is  an 
unreality  :  it  has  no  real  entity. 

We  must  either  conclude  that  evil  is  not  a  real 
power  and  a  real  presence,  or  that  our  Deity  is 
limited,  capable  of  being  overborne  by  evil  :  that 
God  is  not  omnipotent  and  omnipresent.  From  the 
moment  we  take  our  stand  to  live  the  Omnipotence 
and  Omnipresence  of  the  Good,  our  emancipation 
from  the  dominion  of  evil  begins. 

Presenting  the  unreality  of  evil  is  but  another  way 
of  putting  our  ba.sic  principle,  the  Omniscience, 
Omnipotence  and  Omnipresence  of  the  Good. 

As  in  our  second  lesson  we  delineated  the  two 
selves,  the  real  and  the  unreal,  the  true  and  the 
false,  let  us  keep  clearly  before  us  the  two  realms 
of  being,  the  realm  of  the  Good,  the  real,  the 
realm  of  evil,  the  unreal.  As  we  understand  that 
while  it  seems  as  though  there  were  two  selves,  one 
opposed  to  the  other,  there  is,  in  reality,  only  One; 
so  we  may  understand  that  while  it  seems  as  though 
there  were  two  realms  of  being,  one  good  and  one 
evil,  in  reality  there  is  but  One. 

As  we  from  principle  continuously  acknowledge 
the  good,  and  identify  ourselves  with  the  true  one 
within,  the  false  self  will  pass  away  or  be  overcome 
by  the  Christ  Self.  As  the  false  self  is  overcome 
the  environment  of  the  false  self  must  necessarily 
pass  away. 

The  world  as  it  stands  today,  the  embodiment  of  all 
that  is  corruptible  and  passing,  sin,  sickness,  sorrow, 


The  Unreality  of  Evil.  29 

poverty  and  death,  is  exclusively  the  environment  of 
the  mortal  man.  As  we  lift  ourselves  out  of  the 
mortal  consciousness  into  the  spiritual  consciousness, 
we  become  superior  to  evil.  In  the  overcoming  of 
the  false  self  lies  the  overcoming  of  all  error.  By 
the  overcoming'  of  evil  we  prove  its  unreality.  That 
which  is  real  cannot  be  overcome;  it  is  unchangeable, 
eternal. 

Just  so  long  as  \ve  fight  evil  as  a  real  power  and 
a  real  presence,  will  it  seem  real  to  us,  and  have 
power  to  overcome  us. 

God  will  ever  seem  to  man  just  what  he  believes 
Him  to  be,  and  evil  will  ever  seem  to  man  just  what 
he  believes  it  to  be.  All  the  power  that  evil  ever 
has  had,  has  now,  or  ever  can  have,  is  that  which 
man  has  given  it  by  continuous  recognition. 

"Build,  therefore,  your  own  world,"  says 
j^mgrson. «  "As  fast  as  you  conform  your  life  to 
the  pure  idea  of  your  mind,  that  will  unfold  its 
great  proportions.  A  correspondent  revolution  of 
things  will  attend  the  influx  of  the  Spirit.  So  fast, 
will  disagreable  appearances,  swine,  spiders,  snakes, 
pests,  madhouses,  prisons,  enemies  vanish  ;  they 
are  temporary,  and  shall  be  no  more  seen.  The 
sorder  and  filths  of  nature  the  sun  shall  dry  up  and 
the  wind  exhale.  As  when  the  summer  comes  from 
the  south,  and  snow  banks  melt,  and  the  face  of  the 
earth  becomes  green  before  it,  so  shall  the  advancing 
Spirit  create  its  ornaments  along  its  path,  and  carry 
with  it  the  beauty  it  visits,  and  the  song  which 


30  The  Unreality  of  Evil. 

enchants  it  ;  it  shall  draw  beautiful  faces,  warm 
hearts,  wise  discourse,  and  heroic  acts  around  its 
way,  until  evil  is  no  more  seen.  The  kingdom  of 
man  over  nature,  which  cometh  not  with  observa- 
tion— a  dominion  such  as  now  is  beyond  his  dream 
of  God — he  shall  enter  without  more  wonder  than 
the  blind  man  feels  who  is  gradually  restored  to 
perfect  sight. ' ' 

It  is  that  which  man  feels  beyond  his  power  to 
master  that  he  calls  evil.  In  the  degree  that  he  can 
overcome  evil  does  he  divest  it  of  that  name.  As 
we  gain  more  knowledge  of  our  oneness  with 
Omnipotence,  we  shall  realize  more  power  to  over- 
come evil,  and  it  will  become  less  and  less  a  real 
factor  in  our  lives.  Evil  is  ignorance,  and  if 
through  knowledge  we  are  able  to  prove  our 
superiority  to  it  in  any  degree  through  our  constant 
recognition  of  and  consequent  identification  with  the 
Spirit  of  Wisdom  within,  we  shall  be  able  to  rise 
above  all  evil. 

There  is  no  degree  in  evil  itself.  There  seems  to 
be  degree  of  evil  because  of  our  ignorance  of  divine 
Law.  As  we  unfold  in  the  Christ  principle  this 
limitation  will  pass  away.  The  Christ  principle, 
perfectly  unfolded  and  manifested  in  Jesus,  met  evil 
and  proved  its  nothingness  on  every  hand.  Jesus 
Christ  knew  the  unreality  of  evil,  and  the  Omnipo- 
tence and  Omnipresence  of  the  Good,  so  that 
when  evil  came  before  him  he  ignored  its  seeming 
power,  and  called  directly  upon  God  the  Good. 


The  Unreality  of  Evil.  31 

When  he  met  what  is  called  incurable  disease,  he 
addressed  the  true  One,  and  said:  "Be  thou 
clean;"  "Take  up  thy  bed  and  walk;"  and  the 
disease  was  not.  When  he  met  the  storm  at  which 
his  disciples  were  terrified,  because  they  were  still 
recognizing  evil  as  a  real  power,  he  said,  "  Peace, 
be  still,"  and  the  storm  was  not.  When  he  met 
sin,  which  the  world  has  ever  held  as  beyond 
redemption,  he  recognized  the  sinless  One,  and 
called  it  into  manifestation,  to  the  ultimate  exclusion 
of  the  error.  When  he  found  he  had  but  two 
loaves  and  three  fishes  upon  which  to  feed  the 
multitude,  he  thanked  God  for  the  fullness,  and  the 
lack  was  proven  a  delusion.  When  he  met  death, 
he  recognized  only  life,  and  there  was  no  death. 

Not  through  miracle  working  as  a  special 
dispensation  of  God  in  his  favor,  did  Jesus  accom- 
plish these  ends,  but  through  the  understanding 
and  application  of  principles  which  he  has  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  all  mankind.  He  knew  and 
applied  a  higher  Law  which  governs  the  life  of 
each  one  of  us,  even  as  it  governed  the  life  of  the 
man  Jesus.  By  the  giving  over  of  his  whole 
consciousness  to  the  recognition  of  the  Omniscience, 
Omnipotence,  and  Omnipresence  of  the  Good,  did 
this  great  master  of  self  exemplify  the  nothingness 
of  sin,  sickness,  poverty,  accident  and  death. 
Under  the  above  heads  may  be  placed  all  the  evil 
to  which  humanity  believes  itself  in  bondage. 

Nor  do  we  have  to  go  back  nineteen  hundred 


32  The  Unreality  of  Evil. 

years  to  have  the  unreality  of  evil  exemplified. 
The  Christ  principle  has  at  last  penetrated  to  the 
present  day,  and  on  every  hand  sin,  sorrow  and 
disease  are  being  overcome  by  those  who  are 
learning  to  live  at  one  with  divine  Law.  Never 
have  these  lessons  been  given  to  a  class  of  students 
that  a  number  have  not  been  healed  of  their  diseases, 
and  you  may  be  healed  as  you  read,  if  you  will  open 
your  heart  to  receive  the  blessing  that  is  for  you. 

Do  not  shut  the  good  out  of  your  life  by  holding 
to  the  old  and  false  idea  that  we  must  not  presume 
to  do  the  works  that  Jesus  did,  for  his  whole 
teaching  refutes  this  error.  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world' '  he  said,  ' '  and  preach  the  gospel — good 
tidings."  "The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand. 
Heal  the  sick,  cleanse  the  lepers,  raise  the  dead, 
cast  out  devils. "  "  He  that  believeth  on  me  the 
works  that  I  do  he  shall  do  also,  and  greater  works 
than  these  shall  he  do,  because  I  go  unto  my 
Father. ' ' 

If  we  look  at  the  problem  of  evil  as  a  whole,  we 
may  become  confused,  and  feel  it  is  impossible  to 
believe  in  its  unreality.  Let  us  remember  this 
Truth  :  We  are  the  microcosm  of  the  macrocosm, 
and  whatever  may  be  accomplished  within  one 
individual  may  ultimately  by  all  be  attained.  The 
world  is  made  up  of  individuals,  and  if  you  and  I 
can,  by  the  knowledge  of  a  given  principle,  over- 
come that  which  is  false  in  our  lives  to  any  degree, 


The  Unreality  of  Evil.  33 

we  may  by  the  continued  application  of  that  same 
principle  overcome  all  error. 

What  one  can  accomplish,  two  can  do;  what  two 
can  do,  a  family  ;  if  a  family,  a  community  ;  if  a 
community,  a  nation  ;  if  a  nation,  a  world. 

Jesus,  in  speaking  of  the  devil,  said,  ' '  He  was  a 
murderer  from  the  beginning,  and  abode  not  in  the 
Truth  because  there  is  no  Truth  in  him.  When  he 
speaketh  a  lie  he  speaketh  of  his  own,  for  he  is  a 
liar  and  the  father  of  it. ' '  The  word  devil  is  but 
another  name  for  evil.  As  we  have  put  aside  the 
idea  of  the  personal  God,  so  we  must  know  that  the 
only  devil  there  is,  is  man's  consciousness  of  evil. 
When  Jesus  used  the  term  devil  or  satan,  he 
referred  to  evil  as  a  whole,  or  to  the  false  con- 
sciousness in  each  one  which  claims  the  reality  of 
evil.  Jesus  made  this  very  plain,  when  in  reply  to 
Peter's  recognition  of  the  Christ,  he  said,  addressing 
the  divine  One,  "  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Barjona 
(offspring  of  the  Holy  Spirit),  thou  art  Peter,  and 
upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church."  A  short 
time  after,  when  Peter  let  the  false  self  come  up  in 
him,  and  tried  to  dissuade  Jesus  from  passing 
through  the  crucifixion,  Jesus  said  to  this  false  one, 
' c  Get  thee  behind  me  satan,  *  *  *  thou  savor- 
est  not  of  the  things  that  be  of  God,  but  of  those 
that  be  of  men. ' ' 

Thus  did  Jesus  declare  the  unreality  of  evil  when 
he  said  the  devil,  evil,  has  no  Truth  in  it  ;  it  ib  a 
liar,  a  lie,  the  father  or  generator  of  a  lie.  That 


34  The  Unreality  of  Evil. 

which  is  a  lie  is  false,  that  which  is  false  is  unreal  : 
therefore  evil  is  an  unreality,  it  came  forth  from 
unreality,  and  must  return  to  the  unreality  or 
nothingness  from  whence  it  sprang.  A  lie  affects 
your  life  just  so  long  as  you  believe  it  to  be  the 
truth,  and  no  longer.  If  some  one  tells  you  a 
falsehood,  so  long  as  you  believe  it  to  be  true,  it 
may  influence  you,  and  you  may  act  upon  it. 
From  the  moment  the  Truth  is  revealed  to  you 
about  that  falsehood,  it  becomes  to  you  as  though 
it  had  never  been  ;  it  is  unreal,  it  is  nothing. 

While  man  is  living  on  the  sense  plane  he  is 
largely  dominated  by  the  five  senses,  which  con- 
stantly speak  to  him  of  sin,  suffering,  sickness, 
poverty,  and  claim  the  reality  of  evil.  Every  claim 
of  error  is  false,  it  i.;  a  lie,  there  is  no  truth  in  it. 

Every  time  you  hear  the  voice  of  the  false  one 
within  you  declaring  that  evil  is  real,  or  has  any 
power  over  you,  open  your  spiritual  ears  and  you 
will  hear  the  voice  of  Truth  in  the  depths  of  your 
heart  and  soul  speaking  to  you  of  your  divinity  ; 
telling  you  that  you  are  not  in  bondage  to  evil,  that 
the  Good  is  the  only  power,  that  the  Good  is  the 
only  reality.  You  who  listen  to  the  voice  of  Truth, 
and  believe,  will  find  evil  passing  out  of  your  life. 

Jesus  gave  forth  some  of  his  greatest  truths  in 
parable  because,  as  he  said,  people  had  ears  and 
heard  not,  had  eyes  and  saw  not,  and  hearts  that 
did  not  understand. 

Before  we  can  understand  this  great  Truth  of  the 


The  Unreality  of  Evil.  35 

unreality  of  evil,  we  must  cultivate  the  divine 
perception.  Divine  perception  is  the  seventh,,  or 
spiritual  sense.  Through  the  cultivation  of  this 
higher  sense  all  our  senses  will  be  uplifted,  and 
learn  to  testify  only  to  the  Good.  It  is  now  being 
widely  recognized  that  there  is  a  sixth,  or  psychic 
sense,  which  is  capable  of  development.  As  we 
realize  the  possibility  of  unfolding  the  sixth  or 
psychic  sense,  which  has  heretofore  been  latent,  so 
we  may  understand  that  the  seventh  or  spiritual 
sense  may  be  unfolded,  though  it  has  up  to  this 
time  been  entirely  unknown  to  our  consciousness. 
The  psychic  sense  is  no  higher  than  the  other  five 
senses.  Psychic  development  is  not  necessarily  an 
evidence  of  spirituality.  One  may  cultivate  the 
psychic  sense  without  any  reference  whatever  to 
his  spiritual  nature.  This  is,  however,  an  unwise, 
and  many  times  a  dangerous  tiling  to  do.  The 
psychic  sense  in  itself  should  not  be  cultivated. 
Not  only  is  it  unwise  to  cultivate  the  psychic 
sui;;e,  but  every  evidence  of  its  growth  should  be 
discouraged,  and  held  in  abeyance  to  the  growih 
of  the  Spirit,  or  to  the  Self  centering  ol  the  soul. 
The  seventh  sense  includes  the  other  six  senses, 
and  whatever  development  on  this  side  is  right  and 
true,  will  come  to  us  as  we  unfold  spiritually. 
Cultivating  the  seventh  or  spiritual  sense,  is  really 
becoming  conscious  of  the  divine  Self.  It  is  the 
sense  which  speaks  to  man  of  his  oneness  with. 
God  ;  of  his  completeness. 


36  The  Unreality  of  Evil. 

You  may  not  be  able,  at  once,  to  reason  out  the 
unreality  of  evil,  but  the  truth  of  it  will  be  revealed 
to  you  as  the  Spirit  is  quickened  within  you,  and 
you  unfold  in  the  higher  life.  "  For  what  man," 
says  Paul,  "  knoweth  things  of  a  man  save  the 
spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him?  Even  so  the  things 
of  God  knoweth  no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God." 
"But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness  to  him, 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spirit- 
ually discerned. 

There  has  ever  been  permeating  the  yeligious 
world  the  thought  of  self  denial,  but  it  has  been 
observed  in  the  letter,  rather  than  the  Spirit.  By 
understanding  the  spirit  of  denial,  we  shall  be  able 
to  apply  our  principle  of  the  Omnipotence  and 
Omnipresence  of  the  Good,  and  the  unreality  of 
evil.  It  profits  us  little  on  stated  occasions  to  deny 
the  body  food,  raiment,  or  any  external  thing.  The 
essential  denial  is  that  of  the  false  consciousness, 
the  consciousness  of  selfishness,  pride,  envy,  con- 
demnation, malice,  jealousy,  sensuality,  criticism, 
anger,  fear,  doubt,  anxiety,  grief,  and  all  that 
makes  up  the  false  thinking  self.  This  is  the  only 
tbinj;  that  stands  between  us  and  our  Good. 

Do  not  condemn  any  error  thought  within  you, 
or  try  to  crush  it  out,  for  this  is  not  true  self-denial. 
Consecrate  every  false  thought  within  you  to  God, 
for  a  thought  that  is  given  to  God  is  lost  in  the 
Good  and  denied  as  evil.  For  example,  hatred  is 


The  Unreality  of  Evil.  37 

only  really  denied  when  it  is  consecrated  to,  or  lost 
in  Love.  To  deny  unforgiveness,  is  to  lose  it  in 
forgiveness  ;  to  deny  impurity,  is  to  lose  it  in 
purity  ;  to  deny  sorrow,  is  to  lose  it  in  joy. 

We  may  use  the  form  of  denial  and  affirmation 
as  follows:  "I  deny  all  fear,  I  am  filled  with  the 
courage  of  God,"  or  we  may  use  the  form  of 
consecration,  "I  consecrate  every  feeling  of  fear, 
selfishness,  pride — as  the  case  may  be — to  God  the 
Good."  In  the  consecration  of  any  part  of  our 
consciousness  to  the  opposite  Good,  is  included  the 
denial  and  the  affirmation.  The  Christ  in  Jesus, 
said  :  "Those  that  thou  hast  given  me  I  have  kept, 
and  none  of  them  is  lost  but  the  son  of  perdition. " 
The  son  of  perdition  is  the  one  in  us  which  knows 
evil,  and  in  the  degree  that  we  identify  ourselves  with 
the  Christ  consciousness,  that  one  is  lost  in  the  Good. 

Evil  is  always  evil,  the  Good  is  always  the  Good. 
Evil  is  the  unreal,  the  Good  is  real,  therefore  the 
Good  must  ultimately  overcome  all  evil,  and  prove 
its  nothingness. 

Refuse  to  recognize  evil  as  a  factor  in  your  life,  and 
actively  acknowledge  the  highest  Good.  ' '  Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God. ' ' 


38  The  Unreality  of  Evil. 

STA  T  EM  EN  TS. 

God  the  Good  is  the  only  reality,  therefore  there 
is  no  reality  in  evil. 

Sickness,  sorrow,  poverty,  sin,  death,  do  not 
belong  to  the  realm  of  the  Good,  therefore  they  are 
unreal. 

The  self  that  is  conscious  of  evil  is  not  the  real 
Self. 

Anger,  jealousy,  malice,  selfishness,  hatred,  un- 
forgiveness,  pride,  envy,  condemnation,  sensuality, 
fear,  sorrow,  anxiety,  have  no  place  in  Me,  they 
do  not  belong  to  my  divine  Self,  they  have  no 
power  over  Me. 

I  am  free  in  the  freedom  of  God. 

I  live,  move  and  have  my  being  in  the  Good. 


Power  of  the  Word.  39 


iesson 


Power  of  the  Word. 

The  world  is  rapidly  coming  into  the  recognition 
of  the  fact  that  thought  is  the  most  subtle  and  potent 
force  known  to  man.  Mind  is  the  creative  power. 
Not  only  is  Mind  forcible  in  its  influence  upon  the 
external  world,  but  it  is  the  actual  seat  of  causa- 
tion. It  records  itself  in  body  and  environment  as 
expressed  Good  and  evil,  according  to  the  character 
of  the  thought. 

When  we  have  realized  the  importance  of  disci- 
plining our  thoughts,  placing  them  under  perfect 
control,  so  that  we  shall  be  able  at  any  time  to 
center  them  upon  a  given  point,  we  shall  have 
found  the  secret  of  governing  our  lives  to  accord 
with  the  great  Law  of  the  Good. 

Through  the  concentration  of  forces  power  is 
generated.  The  scattering  of  forces  renders  them 
impotent.  Through  the  concentration  of  rays  of 
light  great  penetrating  power  is  gained,  as  exempli- 
fied by  the  search-light,  and  the  head-light  of 
an  engine.  Through  concentration  of  heat  rays, 
intensity  of  heat  is  gained  ;  illustrated  by  what  is 
commonly  known  as  a  burning-glass. 


40  Power  of  the  Word. 

Nearly  all  the  inventions  that  have  been  given 
forth  to  the  world  are  the  result  of  months  and 
years  of  concentrated  thought.  So  it  is  with  the 
artist,  architect,  mechanic,  who  attains  to  any 
degree  of  success. 

In  the  dramatic  world,  an  artist  desiring  to 
impersonate  a  certain  character,  not  only  becomes 
familiar  with  his  lines,  but  he  fixes  in  his  mind  an 
ideal  of  the  character.  In  all  he  does,  he  identifies 
himself  with  that  ideal.  Mme.  Modjeski  is  quoted 
as  making  this  statement:  "Just  as  soon  as  I 
decide  to  act  a  new  character,  I  try  to  become  that 
woman.  I  learn  the  lines  first,  but  they  are  com- 
paratively nothing.  My  task  is  to  learn  to  feel 
the  woman  who  would  speak  these  lines.  My  part 
is  to  sink  Helena  Modjeska's  personality  into  that 
of  the  woman  who  would  spontaneously  and  natu- 
rally, under  the  circumstances  indicated  in  the  play, 
speak  these  lines  which  I  have  acquired."  As  we 
persistently  center  our  thought  upon  all  that  consti- 
tutes the  divine  man,  as  we  keep  ever  before  us  the 
highest  ideal,  we  shall  sink  our  personality  into  the 
Christ,  and  express  it  in  every  line  of  our  being. 

"Thoughts  are  things."  Through  the  concen- 
tration of  our  thoughts  we  give  them  power  to 
project  themselves  into  the  visible. 

Mind  in  the  absolute,  is  the  Substance  out  of 
which  all  things  are  created.  Mind  in  activity,  is 
the  Word  by  which  all  things  find  expression.  It 


Power  of  the  Word.  41 

is  through  the  understanding  of  the  use  of  the 
Word  that  the  principle  which  has  been  presented 
in  these  first  three  lessons  may  become  practical  in 
all  the  affairs  of  life. 

The  use  of  the  Word  is  the  connecting  link 
between  theory  and  practice.  By  the  Word,  we 
do  not  mean  solely  that  which  is  contained  in  the 
scriptures  of  the  world,  but  the  word  of  Truth  as  it 
comes  forth  from  the  divine  One  within,  whether 
it  be  recorded  or  not.  Any  declaration  which 
expresses  the  Good,  whether  thought  in  the  heart 
or  spoken  audibly,  whether  recorded  or  not,  is  the 
word  of  God.  The  Word  is  the  agent  of  the  Mind. 
What  the  chisel  is  to  the  sculptor,  what  the  brush  is 
to  the  painter,  the  Word  is  to  the  Mind. 

Of  a  chaotic  state  of  mind  must  necessarily  be 
born  chaotic  conditions,  and  of  an  orderly  state  of 
mind  must  be  born  orderly  conditions.  If  we  think 
evil,  we  shall  meet  evil  in  our  lives  ;  if  we  think 
Good  and  evil,  we  shall  meet  Good  and  evil  ;  if  we 
think  only  the  Good,  we  shall  meet  only  the  Good." 
"A  good  man  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart 
bringeth  forth  good  things,  and  an  evil  man  out  of 
the  evil  treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth  forth  evil 
things." 

The  Kingdom  of  God  is  already  created,  finished, 
complete  in  divine  Mind.  The  Kingdom  of  God 
is  within  you.  Heaven  is  not  a  place  confined  to 
some  particular  locality  ever  far  distant  from  the 


42  Power  of  the  Word. 

earth  plane.  Heaven  is  a  state  of  being,  a  state  of 
perfect  harmony.  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  the 
kingdom  of  the  Good,  the  abiding  place  or  environ- 
ment of  the  true  Self.  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is 
the  state  of  conscious  oneness  with  God. 

Neither  is  hell  a  localized  place  prepared  for  the 
eternal  punishment  of  evil  people.  This  very 
primitive  idea  grew  out  of  ignorance,  and  has  no 
other  foundation.  The  word  hell,  in  its  original 
sense,  means  the  hidden,  or  unseen  place.  It  is 
the  translation  of  two  words — Hebrew,  "Sheol," 
meaning  the  grave  or  place  of  the  dead  ;  and 
Greek,  ''Gehenna,"  the  name  of  a  dark  gorge  on 
the  west  side  of  Jerusalem,  where  refuse  and 
criminals  were  burned,  and  where  human  sacrifices 
were  offered. 

All  through  his  ministry  Jesus  taught  by  symbol- 
ism. Every  act  of  his  life  was  symbolical  of  a  saving 
Truth.  Carrying  out  his  accustomed  method  of 
teaching,  Jesus  used  the  term  hell  metaphorically, 
as  a  fitting  word  to  express  the  state  of  the  soul 
which  persists  in  identifying  itself  with  evil.  In  the 
degree  that  a  soul  is  unregenerate,  dead  to  the 
Spirit,  it  exists  in  the  grave  of  its  own  materiality. 
The  soul  that  has  long  been  identified  with  evil 
passes  through  the  fire  of  Gehenna,  the  place  of 
torment  within,  and  must  be  subject  to  it  until  all 
error  is  consumed.  In  this  fire  the  soul  sacrifices 
its  lower  nature  to  God.  Hell,  therefore,  is  a  state 


Power  of  the  Word.  43 

of  soul  recognition  of  and  identification  with  evil,  a 
consciousness  of  separateness  from  God. 

On  whatever  plane,  in  whatever  place  the  soul 
finds  expression,  it  may  be  in  Heaven  or  hell  in  the 
degree  that  it  is  consciously  identified  with  harmony 
or  inharmony.  It  is  by  the  Word  of  Truth  that  we 
have  power  to  manifest  the  kingdom  of  the  Good 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  kingdom  of  evil.  In  other 
words,  it  is  by  the  systematic  and  persistent  recog- 
nition of  the  Good  that  it  becomes  established  in 
our  lives. 

You  have,  no  doubt,  thought  of  many  things  as 
too  good  to  be  true,  and  have  had  ideals  that  you 
have  deemed  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  realize. 
Nothing  is  too  good  to  be  true,  because  all  Good  is 
contained  in  God.  The  ideal  is  the  real.  Its  very 
conception  proves  that  it  may  be  attained.  The 
ideal  you  have  in  your  heart  is  only  possible 
because  you  in  your  true  Self  are  all  and  infinitely 
more  than  your  present  ideal  portrays.  Your 
divine  Self  and  all  that  is  befitting  as  the  environ- 
ment of  the  Son  of  God,  is  capable  of  perfect 
expression  or  manifestation.  "  If  you  have  built 
castles  in  the  air,  your  work  need  not  bit  lost :  that 
is  where  they  should  be  ;  now  put  the  foundation 
under  them."-— THOREAU. 

By  practicing  the  declaration  of  the  Good,  into 
whatever  language  we  put  it ;  in  other  words,  by 
the  continuous  use  of  the  Word,  we  shall  make 


44  Power  of  the  Word. 

ourselves  pure,  perfect  channels  through  which 
God  may  be  expressed.  The  Good  will  then 
become  manifest  in  the  heart,  body  and  environ- 
ment, as  Happiness,  Satisfaction,  Health,  Harmony, 
Prosperity  and  Success. 

When  evil  makes  its  claim  in  any  way  upon  your 
life,  you  will  check  it  and  prove  its  nothingness  by 
immediately  declaring  the  opposite  Good.  When 
fear  comes  up  in  your  heart,  declare  that  you  have 
infinite  courage,  because  you  know  that  evil  is 
unreal,  and  the  Good  is  the  only  power.  When 
you  seem  to  be  impatient,  declare  you  have  the 
patience  of  the  Christ.  When  you  seem  to  be 
angered,  say  to  that  angry  one,  "  Peace,  be  still." 
or  declare  that  you  are  filled  with  divine  Love. 
When  you  seem  to  be  sorrowful,  declare  that  you 
are  filled  with  the  joy  of  the  Lord.  When  you 
seem  to  be  dissatisfied,  declare  that  you  are  filled 
with  divine  Satisfaction.  In  the  face  of  seeming 
inharmony  declare  that  perfect  harmony  reigns  in 
and  through  your  life.  When  you  are  beset  by 
impure  desire,  declare  that  you  are  a  pure,  holy 
child  of  God,  that  every  desire  is  now  fulfilled  in 
God. 

In  pursuing  this  method  of  affirming  the  Good, 
notwithstanding  the  appearance  of  evil,  you  are  not 
saying  that  which  is  untrue,  you  are  recogni/ing 
that  which  always  has  been,  is  now,  and  ever  shall 
be  true  about  your  divine  Self.  Remember  that 


Power  of  the  Word.  45 

all  on  the  side  of  evil  is  false,  it  is  untrue  ;  only 
the  Good  is  true. 

Ignore  that  which  is  false,  that  you  may  become 
entirely  separate  from  it,  and  prove  your  superiority 
to  it.  Give  positive  recognition  to  that  which  is 
true  in  order  that  you  shall  become  identified  with 
it,  and  that  it  may  become  established  unto  you. 

It  is  not  sufficient  for  us  to  occasionally  make 
these  declarations  of  the  Good.  We  should  con- 
tinue in  them  until  our  whole  consciousness  is 
permeated  with  the  true  idea  ;  until  the  mind  is 
changed  from  the  habitual  recognition  of  evil  to 
the  habitual  recognition  of  the  Good.  "  Be  not 
conformed  to  this  world,  but  be  ye  transformed  by 
the  renewing  of  your  mind. ' '  The  continued  repeti- 
tion of  the  Word  expressing  some  fundamental 
Truth  finally  objectifies  it.  This  practice  may  seem 
to  be  mechanical  at  first,  but  do  not  yield  or  become 
discouraged.  No  Word  of  Truth,  no  affirmation 
of  the  Good  is  ever  lost.  Every  thought  placed  on 
the  side  of  the  Good  is  as  essential  in  bringing  about 
the  desired  result,  as  is  the  overturning  of  every 
clod  of  earth  to  the  reaping  of  the  harvest.  For 
example,  as  you  begin  to  realize  that  it  is  your 
mission  to  be  an  avenue  for  the  expression  of  divine 
Love,  you  may  find  that  you  love  only  the  few 
people  you  call  your  own,  and  that  you  dislike  or 
are  indifferent  to  a  great  many.  Take  the  state- 
ment, "  I  Am  the  Spirit  of  Selfless  Love,"  repeat 


46  Power  of  the  Word. 

it  again  and  again,  let  it  become  the  burden  of  your 
thought.  At  first  your  words  may  seem  empty, 
and  you  may  seern  to  get  further  away  from  the 
realization  of  Love.  This  is  but  a  transitory 
period  :  press  faithfully  on,  and  you  will  mid  your 
heart  warming,  and  your  love  spontaneously  going 
iorth  to  all  people.  In  this  way  work  to  overcome 
every  error  that  makes  its  claim  in  your  life. 

When  you  have  once  set  your  face  toward  the 
manifestation  of  any  Good,  never  yield  to  the  seem- 
ing power  and  presence  of  evil,  or  to  anything  that 
may  seem  to  stand  between  you  and  the  realization 
of  that  Good. 

If  the  centering  of  your  thought  in  a  given 
direction  does  not  fruit  today,  continue  in  it  to- 
morrow ;  if  it  does  not  fruit  tomorrow,  continue 
in  it  the  next  day;  and  so  on,  persistently  and 
steadfastly,  taking  no  account  of  time,  until  your 
concentrated  thought  dissipates  every  obstacle,  and 
finds  expression. 

You  may  find  it  difficult  at  first  to  concentrate 
your  thoughts  :  practice  is  all  that  is  necessary. 
The  rule  for  the  spiritual  student,  given  in  the 
Bhagavad-Gita,  is  this:  ''To  whatever  object 
the  inconstant  mind  goeth  out,  he  should  subdue 
it,  bring  it  back,  and  place  it  upon  the  Spirit." 

All  through  our  Scripture  we  find  references  to 
the  use  and  power  of  the  Word.  In  the  works  ol 
Jesus  Christ  we  find  exemplification  of  it.  By  the 


Power  of  the  Word.  47 

spoken  Word,  Jesus  made  manifest  health  in  the 
place  of  disease,  harmony  out  of  chaos,  plenty 
where  there  appeared  to  be  lack,  purity  where  sin 
seemed  to  abound,  and  life  in  the  face  of  death. 
''If  ye  abide  in  me,"  he  said,  "and  my  words 
abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will,  and  it  shall 
be  done  unto  you  :"  and  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  if  a  man  keep  my  sayings,  he  shall  never  see 
death."  "  Man  liveth  not  by  bread  alone,  but  by 
every  word  that  proceeded!  out  of  the  mouth  of 
God."  "  Inasmuch  as  you  are  the  expressor  of 
the  Good,  you  are  the  mouth-piece  of  God." 
Solomon  says  :  ' '  The  tongue  of  the  wise,  is 
health."  "The  wise,"  is  the  one  who  knows  that 
the  Good  is  the  only  Power,  and  the  only  Presence, 
and  uses  His  tongue  to  express  only  the  Good. 
"A  wholesome  tongue  is  a  tree  of  life."  "  Death 
and  life  are  in  the  power  of  the  tongue. "  "  Pleasant 
words  are  as  honey- comb,  sweet  to  the  soul,  and 
health  to  the  bones."  "Thy  words  are  life  to 
those  that  find  them,  and  health  to  all  their  flesh." 
We  read  in  Job,  "Thou  shalt  decree  a  thing  and 
it  shall  be  established  unto  thee  ;"  and  in  Peter, 
' '  He  that  will  love  life  and  see  good  days,  let  him 
restrain  his  tongue  from  evil,  and  his  lips  that  they 
speak  no  guile."  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  talk  of 
evil.  Do  not  depreciate  yourself,  or  talk  of  the  false 
characteristics  of  others.  Consecrate  your  tongue 
to  God  until  it  habitually  testifies  only  to  the  Good. 


48  Power  of  the  Word. 

When  we  understand  the  potency  of  our  words, 
and  take  into  consideration  the  amount  of  error 
that  is  talked  on  every  side,  we  cannot  wonder 
at  its  manifestation.  Scandals,  crimes,  sickness, 
sorrow,  death,  are  topics  of  discussion  at  the  dining  - 
table,  in  the  drawing-room,  on  the  street,  in  the 
clubs,  heralded  and  enlarged  upon  by  the  press, 
yelled  and  reiterated  by  the  children  on  the  street 
as  the  important  news  of  the  day.  This  accounts, 
in  a  degree  at  least,  for  epidemics  of  disease,  suicide 
and  murder. 

Every  one  who  takes  his  stand  to  identify  his 
consciousness  with  the  Word  of  God,  to  think  and 
speak  only  the  Good,  is  doing  his  part  toward 
checking  and  overcoming  not  only  the  evil  in  his 
own  life,  but  that  expressed  in  the  world  at  large. 

' '  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word 
was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  All  things 
were  made  by  Him  (the  Word),  and  without  Him 
was  not  anything  made  that  was  made."  "And 
the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us." 
The  Word  is  the  Logos,  the  Christ,  the  divine  Ego, 
the  "Me,"  to  whom  is  given  all  power  in  heaven 
and  in  earth. 


Power  of  the  Word.  49 

STA  TEM  EN  TS. 

I  see  all  things,  and  all  people,  and  God  sees 
them,  perfect  in  His  image  and  likeness. 

My  mind  is  the  Mind  of  God. 

I  see  as  God  sees.  I  feel  as  God  feels.  I  hear 
as  God  hears.  I  think  as  God  thinks.  I  speak  as 
God  speaks.  I  will  as  God  wills. 

I  now  see  myself  as  God  sees  me,  pure  and  holy, 
loving  and  wise. 

I  am  at  one  with  my  true  Self. 

I  am  awake  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God. 

The  Spirit  of  Christ  governs  me  and  controls  me 
in  all  ways. 

The  Mind  is  now  in  me  that  was  in  Christ  Jesus. 

My  consciousness  is  the  Christ  consciousness. 

All  things  are  now  working  together  for  my  good. 

I  am  free  from  all  limitation. 

I  am  selfless,  satisfied,  loving,  holy. 


So  Faith. 


iesson  V. 


FAITH. 

John  Lord,  in  his  essay  on  Paul,  makes  this 
statement :  ' '  Great  pulpit  orators,  renowned  theo- 
logians, profound  philosophers,  immortal  poets, 
successful  reformers  and  enlightened  monarchs 
have  never  disputed  his  intellectual  ascendency." 
It  was  Paul  who  said,  "Faith  is  the  substance  of 
things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen." 

Yet  we  find  the  larger  part  of  the  world  scoffing 
at  faith  as  a  factor  in  bringing  about  any  practical 
result.  This  comes,  however,  from  ignorance  and 
superficiality.  Whether  man  recognizes  it  or  not, 
he  uses  faith  in  all  his  activities.  Even  in  the 
materialistic  world  faith  is  an  important  factor. 
Faith  is  an  inherent  quality  with  man  ;  it  is  a  part 
of  his  very  being. 

A  little  child  is  called  upon  to  exercise  faith  in 
learning  to  walk.  The  mother  encourages  the  little 
one  with  every  step.  She  inspires  it  with  confidence 
in  its  own  power  to  hold  itself  erect  and  carry  itself 
forward.  In  this  way  its  faith  is  established  as  time 
goes  on,  and  walking  becomes  the  natural  thing. 
It  is  through  this  established  faith  in  the  power 
within  that  we  are  enabled  to  hold  our  bodies  erect, 


Faith.  51 

to  lift  our  hands  to  do  the  simplest  act  of  our  daily 
lives.  The  body  has  no  motive  power  of  its  own. 
In  all  its  functions,  from  least  to  greatest,  it  is 
governed  by  the  engine  of  thought.  As  materialists 
put  it,  the  brain  keeps  up  a  constant  telegraphic 
communication  with  the  different  parts  of  the  body, 
which  obey  its  dictation.  There  is,  in  the  I  AM 
consciousness,  the  perfect  confidence  or  faith  in  its 
power  to  use  the  body  as  an  instrument  to  carry 
out  what  we  call  our  natural  functions. 

It  is  the  fearless,  self-confident  one,  who  quickly 
learns  to  swim,  ride  a  bicycle,  or  do  anything  that 
requires  practice.  We  often  hear  people  say  of  one 
who  has  made  a  success  in  a  given  direction,  "  He 
had  such  unbounded  faith  in  himself. ' '  Many  times 
such  a  one  has  only  ordinary  ability.  On  the  other  •, 
hand,  we  meet  gifted,  intellectual  people,  who  seem 
to  fail  in  life  because  they  are  making  the  fatal 
juist_ake  of  self  depreciation.  They  lack  the  neces- 
sary confidence  or  faith  in  themselves.  The  word 
faith  repeatedly  enters  into  the  ordinary  conversation 
of  business  men.  No  large  sum  of  money  is  ever 
invested  without  faith  on  some  one's  part  being 
exercised.  The  inventors  of  the  world  show  the 
must  persistent,  unwavering  faith  ;  a  faith  that  stands 
in  the  face  of  repeated  failure,  scepticism  and  ridicule 
of  others.  This  faith  has  forced  the  world's  recog- 
nition of  goals  attained  which  were  deemed  beyond 
the  pale  of  human  power. 


52  faith. 

Thus  does  faith  play  an  important  part  in  the 
advance  of  civilization.  People  employ  the  physi- 
cian in  whom  they  have  faith,  and  the  physician 
himself  recognizes  the  importance  of  inspiring  his 
patient  with  confidence.  A  physican  of  thirty-five 
years  practice  once  told  me  that  the  greatest  cure 
he  ever  performed  was  of  a  woman  to  whom  he 
gave  bread  pills  as  the  only  material  remedy.  She 
was  suffering  the  most  intense,  physical  pain.  He 
impressed  her  mind  with  the  fact  that  he  thoroughly 
understood  her  case,  taking  great  pains  to  gain  her 
perfect  confidence.  He  then  told  her  that  the 
medicine  he  would  leave  was  very  powerful  and 
infallible  ;  that  she  would  feel  it  within  fifteen 
minutes  after  taking  it  to  the  very  extremities  of 
her  being.  Leaving  the  bread  pills,  with  explicit 
directions  for  taking  them,  he  went  his  way.  When 
he  called  again  the  woman  said  the  medicine  was 
most  remarkable  in  its  effect  ;  that  she  had  indeed 
felt  it  to  her  very  finger  tips,  and  she  was  entirely 
cured. 

A  San  Francisco  drug  clerk  once  gave  this 
testimony  to  a  teacher  of  the  Truth  :  A  man  went 
into  the  shop  where  he  was  employed,  and  asked 
him  if  he  would  put  up  a  prescription  for  a  certain 
physical  ailment.  The  clerk  not  knowing  what 
to  recommend,  thought  he  would  try  an  experi- 
ment. He  filled  a  bottle  with  water,  labeled  it 
with  a  pretentious  Latin  name,  recommended  it 


Faith.  53 

highly,  charged  the  man  a  dollar,  and  sent  him  on 
his  way.  In  a  short  time  the  man  returned, 
declared  himself  much  better,  and  wanted  another 
bottle  of  that  most  excellent  medicine. 

The  attribute  of  faith  is  not  lacking  in  the  human 
heart,  but  it  is  for  the  most  part  misdirected.  Man 
has  great  faith  in  evil.  He  believes  in  it  as  a  positive 
necessity,  and  many  times  as  a  special  dispensation 
of  an  all-wise  and  all-loving  Creator.  We  are 
taught  from  infancy  to  expect  sickness,  sorrow, 
accident,  reverses,  and  that  no  one  can  possibly 
reach  beyond  a  certain  degree  of  goodness  ;  that 
sin  is  the  prerogative  of  the  human  heart,  and  that 
death  is  the  inevitable  and  irretrievable  end.  At 
best,  in  all  the  practical  affairs  of  life,  we  have 
placed  our  faith  in  relative  good. 

Despite  these  traditional  errors  that  have  been 
instilled  into  the  heart  of  man,  he  innately  recog- 
nizes that  Power,  Health,  Wisdom,  Satisfaction, 
and  all  God  qualities  belong  to  him  as  a  rightful 
inheritance.  Not  knowing  that  the  Source  of  all 
Good  is  within,  he  places  his  faith  in  the  external. 
He  puts  his  faith  in  money  to  give  him  power,  in 
material  remedies  to  give  him  health,  in  books  to 
give  him  wisdom,  and  in  sense  indulgence  to  give 
him  satisfaction.  This  faith  is  of  a  quality  that  if 
turned  into  a  right  channel,  it  would  be  sufficient 
to  revolutionize  the  world.  For  example,  there  are 
many  people  who  struggle  for  years  to  overcome 


54  Faith. 

disease  through  material  means,  only  to  find  them- 
selves pronounced  incurable.  They  finally  try 
divine  healing,  and  if  they  are  not  healed  within  a 
certain  length  of  time — sometimes  months,  some- 
times weeks,  and  again  only  a  few  days  is  the 
limit — they  conclude  God  is  ineffectual,  and  go 
back  to  Materia  Medica  which  has  never  afforded 
them  anything  but  disappointment  and  failure.  I 
once  heard  of  a  man  whose  earnest  recommendation 
of  a  medicine  was  the  fact  that  he  had  used  it  for 
ten  years.  This  faith  is  of  the  quality  that  when 
placed  in  God  will  lift  man  above  all  evil. 

Our  work  is  to  take  all  the  faith  that  we  have 
placed  in  evil — divided  between  Good  and  evil, 
placed  in  relative  good,  or  in  material  things  as  a 
source — and  direct  it  toward  the  highest  Good — 
God.  Solomon's  statement,  "As  a  man  thinketh 
in  his  heart,  so  is  he,"  is  repeated  in  that  of  Jesus 
Christ,  "  Be  it  unto  you  according  to  your  faith." 
That  which  we  have  believed  in  we  have  mani- 
fested in  our  lives.  It  has  ever  been  unto  us 
according  to  our  faith,  is  now  and  ever  shall  be. 
In  as  much  as  we  have  believed  in  evil,  we  have 
been  identified  with  it ;  in  as  much  as  we  have 
believed  in  Good  and  evil,  we  have  known  Good 
and  evil  ;  in  as  much  as  we  have  placed  our  faith 
in  less  than  the  eternal  Good  as  the  Source,  has  our 
good  been  changeable  and  passing.  Everything 
but  God  must  come  to  an  end.  God  only  is  eternal. 


Faith.  55 

If  we  place  our  faith  in  that  which  is  less  than 
the  highest  as  the  Source  of  our  Good,  we  may 
receive  it  today  and  lose  it  tomorrow.  P'aith  in 
material  remedies  may  avail  for  a  time,  but  the 
many  institutions  for  the  incurable,  the  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  people  continuously  succumbing 
to  disease,  prove  the  fallacy  of  them  beyond  a 
certain  point.  That  Materia  Medica  emanates 
from  the  mind  of  man  and  not  from  the  Mind  of 
God,  is  proven  by  the  fact  that  notwithstanding  the 
many  years  of  time,  energy  and  intellect  devoted  to 
its  study  and  investigation,  the  number  and  variety 
of  diseases  steadily  increase,  and  the  fruit  of  all  this 
worldly  knowledge  is  repeated  failure. 

The  most  learned  physicians  are  the  ones  who 
have  the  least  respect  for  the  so-called  science  oi 
medicine.  Many  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  it 
is  not  a  science,  but  merely  guess  work.  Dr. 
Abercrombie,  of  the  Royal  College  of  Edinburgh, 
made  this  statement:  "Medicine  is  the  science 
of  guessing."  Prof.  Valentine  Mott,  the  great 
surgeon,  said  :  "Of  all  sciences,  medicine  is  the 
most  uncertain."  Sir  Astley  Cooper,  the  famous 
English  surgeon,  said  :  "  The  science  of  medicine 
is  founded  on  conjecture."  Dr.  Hufeland,  a  great 
German  physician,  says,  ' '  The  greatest  mortality 
of  any  of  the  professions,  is  that  of  the  doctors 
themselves.''  Prof.  Magendie,  the  great  Parisian, 
addressed  the  students  of  his  class  in  the  allopathic 


56  faith. 

college  in  that  city,  in  the  following  language  : 
"Gentlemen,  medicine  is  a  great  humbug.  I  know 
it  is  called  a  science — science,  indeed  ;  it  is  nothing 
like  science.  Doctors  are  mere  empirics  when  they 
are  not  charlatans.  We  are  as  ignorant  as  men  can 
be.  Who  knows  anything  in  the  world  about 
medicine?  Gentlemen,  you  have  done  me  the 
honor  to  come  here  and  attend  my  lectures,  and  I 
must  tell  you  frankly  that  I  know  nothing  in  the 
world  about  medicine,  and  I  don't  know  anybody 
that  does  know  anything  about  it.  I  repeat  it, 
nobody  knows  anything  about  medicine.  I  repeat 
it  to  you,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  medical 
science." 

The  greatest  physician  the  world  has  ever  known,' 
one  who  knew  the  science  of  health,  one  who  came 
to  demonstrate  the  methods  of  Infinite  Wisdom, 
used  no  drugs,  nor  any  kind  of  material  remedies. 

As  we  learn  to  hold  ourselves  ever  in  touch  with 
the  divine  Self  that  transcends  all  evil,  we  shall  find 
that  health  of  body  is  not  a  fleeting,  precarious 
condition,  but  the  normal  state  of  man.  As  we 
grow  into  a  broader  knowledge  of  the  great  and 
inexhaustible  Source,  so  shall  we  become  estab- 
lished in  the  state  of  divine  Wholeness. 

We  may  gain  a  certain  power  by  material 
acquisition,  but  today  we  are  rich,  wielding  the 
power  of  the  world  ;  tomorrow  we  are  poor,  our 
power  gone.  As  we  place  our  faith  in  the  almighty 


Faith.  57 

power  of  the  Good  within,  our  needs  will  be  supplied 
from  the  one  fountain-head  of  all  Good,  and  whatever 
the  claim  of  external  conditions  every  obstacle  shall 
be  overcome. 

We  may  seem  to  satisfy  the  desires  of  the  heart 
for  a  time  through  sense  indulgence,  but  for  a  time 
only  ;  when  the  longing  is  redoubled,  and  can  never 
be  stilled  save  as  we  drink  of  the  water  of  life  in  the 
depths  of  our  own  being.  ' '  Whoever  drinketh  of 
the  water  I  shall  give  him,  shall  never  thirst,  but 
the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a 
well  of  water  springing  into  everlasting  life. ' ' 

We  may  reach  a  certain  intellectual  attainment 
by  the  study  of  books,  but  in  order  to  come  into 
the  knowledge  that  will  set  us  free  from  bondage  to 
evil,  we  must  seek  the  higher  Wisdom  within. 
Therefore,  center  all  your  faith  in  God,  the  highest 
Good. 

Jesus  Christ,  in  all  his  healing  ministry,  taught 
that  faith  is  the  great  requisite.  His  whole  doctrine 
may  be  embodied  in  these  words  :  "  Have  faith  in 
God  ;  have  faith  in  the  Good. ' ' 

Though  the  people  who  sought  his  healing  evi- 
denced their  faith  in  the  mere  act  of  following  him 
and  crying  for  help,  often  did  he  turn  and  insist 
upon  a  positive  declaration  of  faith  before  he  spoke 
the  freeing  Word.  To  the  blind  men  who  followed 
him,  crying,  "Lord  have  mercy  upon  us,"  he 
turned  and  said  :  ' '  Believe  ye  T  am  able  to  do 


58  Faith. 

this  ?' '  and  when  they  replied,  ' '  Yea,  Lord, ' '  he 
touched  their  eyes,  saying  :  "  Be  it  unto  you 
according  to  your  faith." 

Again  and  again  did  Jesus  recognize  faith  as  the 
essential  quality  by  such  statements  as  these  :  ' '  Thy 
faith  hath  made  thee  whole. "  "  Thy  faith  hath  saved 
thee. "  "  Said  I  not  unto  thee,  if  thou  wouldst 
believe,  thou  wouldst  see  the  glory  of  God?"  "  I 
have  not  found  so  great  faith,  no  not  in  Israel." 
Then  too,  he  gave  the  repeated  admonition  not  to 
fear.  "  Be  not  afraid,"  he  said,  "  Where  is  your 
faith?"  "Fear  not,  only  believe. "  "If  thou  canst 
believe,  all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth. ' ' 
''Why  are  ye  fearful,  O  ye  of  little  faith?" 

The  student  should  go  to  work  at  once  on  the 
overcoming  of  fear.  We  cannot  fear  evil  and  trust 
the  Good  at  the  same  time.  Fear  of  evil  is  denial 
of  the  power  of  the  Good.  To  deny  the  Good  is 
to  shut  it  out  from  our  lives.  Fear  is  really  per- 
verted faith.  Job  says  :  ' '  The  thing  which  I  greatly 
feared  is  come  upon  me,  and  that  which  I  was  afraid 
of  is  come  unto  me. ' '  The  greater  the  fear  of  an  evil, 
the  more  intensely  is  our  thought  centered  upon  it, 
and  the  greater  is  our  belief  in  its  reality.  Through 
tliis  concentrated  thought,  unless  a  counteracting 
force  is  interposed,  we  draw  the  evil  feared  into  our 
lives.  No  evil  can  befall  us,  if,  from  the  standpoint 
of  knowledge  of  the  Omnipotent,  Omnipresent 
Good  we  are  absolutely  iearless. 


faif.  h  .  59 

It  was  when  Peter  began  to  fear,  that  he  began 
to  sink.  So  long  as  he  kept  his  eyes  on  the  Christ, 
he  walked  on  the  breast  of  the  turbulent  sea,  but  the 
moment  he  began  to  contemplate  the  stormy  waves, 
they  began  to  engulf  him. 

Fear  of  disease  will  bring  it  upon  us.  It  is  a 
physician's  statement  that  thousands  are  continu- 
ally dying  of  fear,  and  that  fear  has  been  known  to 
kill  a  perfectly  healthy  man  in  one  hour.  Many 
people  in  comfortable  circumstances  have  feared 
and  talked  poverty  until  it  has  resulted  in  the  loss 
oi  their  possessions.  Fear,  which  animals  instinct- 
ively sense,  will  cause  them  to  attack  a  man,  when 
otherwise  they  would  allow  him  to  pass  unnoticed. 
While  it  is  necessary  to  recognize  the  fact  that  fear 
becomes  a  magnet  to  attract  evil,  do  not  enter  into 
the  negative  state  of  being  afraid  of  fear.  Hold 
steadfastly  to  the  highest  Good  :  know  that  you 
are  protected,  even  from  yourself,  by  the  omni- 
present Love  of  God.  In  times  of  darkness,  when 
the  sea  of  your  life  is  troubled  by  claims  of  sick- 
ness, loss,  sorrow  or  error  of  any  kind,  be  true  to 
your  principle.  Keep  your  eyes  above  all  appear- 
ance of  evil  by  declaring,  ' '  I  fear  no  evil  ;  I  trust 
the  omnipresent,  omnipotent  Good."  In  this  way 
your  fear  will  be  overcome,  and  instead  of  being 
submerged  by  evil,  you  will  rise  superior  to  it  and 
conquer  it  with  the  Good. 

One  of  the  severest  tests  of  faith  to  which  Jesus 


60  Faith. 

ever  subjected  any  one,  was  when  the  Canaanite 
woman  came  to  him  and  sought  healing  for  her 
daughter.  The  woman  came  to  Jesus  as  the  Mes- 
siah, with  no  thought  but  that  he  would  freely  grant 
her  that  which  he  had  been  dispensing  to  the  multi- 
tudes. Her  appeal,  though  unconsciously,  was 
made  to  the  Christ  within  herself.  Not  having  the 
wisdom  to  turn  within,  she  looked  to  Jesus  as  her 
Lord.  It  was  to  her  as  though  her  God  had 
refused  her,  when  Jesus  turned  to  her  and  said  : 
"It  is  not  meet  to  take  the  children's  bread  and 
cast  it  unto  the  dogs."  In  the  face  of  this  rebuke 
the  woman's  faith  transcended  appearances  and  she 
replied:  "Truth,  Lord,  yet  the  dogs  eat  from  the 
crumbs  that  fall  from  the  master's  table."  Jesus 
had  accomplished  his  purpose.  He  did  not  test  the 
woman's  faith  for  the  mere  sake  of  proving  her,  but 
he  knew  that  the  faith  that  admitted  of  no  doubt  or 
wavering  was  necessary  to  the  healing  of  her 
daughter,  and  when  he  had  called  it  forth  he  said, 
"O  woman,  great  is  thy  faith,  be  it  unto  thee  even  as 
thou  wilt."  Because  we  find  ourselves  so  entangled 
in  the  meshes  of  our  own  past  false  thinking,  there 
may  come  times  when  it  seems  to  us  that  the 
indwelling  Christ  is  refusing  us.  It  may  seem  that 
though  we  have  spoken  the  Word  in  faith,  it  has 
been  void.  At  such  times,  let  us  remember  the 
Canaanite  woman  and  be  not  doubting,  but  filled 
with  the  faith  which  is  the  substance  of  that  which 


faith.  61 

we  seek.  Take  the  attitude  of  Jacob  with  the 
angel.  Say  to  the  angel  of  the  Good,  which  is  the 
fulfillment  of  your  particular  need,  "I  will  not  let 
thee  go  except  thou  bless  me." 

The  Christ  principle  is  unchanging,  eternal,  and 
never  fails  us  if  we  have  the  steady,  persistent  faith 
that  will  not  take  "  No  "  for  an  answer. 

"  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  ye 
shall  say  to  this  mountain,  remove  hence  to  yonder 
place  and  it  shall  remove,  and  nothing  shall  be 
impossible  to  you."  The  mustard  seed  falls  into  a 
field  and  grows  and  increases  until  all  else  is  out- 
rooted.  This  is  the  quality  of  faith  turned  toward 
God,  the  highest  Good,  that  will  overcome  all  evil 
and  establish  our  kingdom  of  heaven  upon  the 
earth. 

"  Faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  the 
evidence  of  things  unseen.'' 

We  do  not  come  into  this  high  state  of  faith  at 
once,  but  we  grow  into  it  through  increasing  our 
understanding. 

We  attain  to  the  requisite  consciousness  of  faith 
through  understanding.  We  attain  to  understand- 
ing through  faithfulness  to  the  Word.  The  fruition 
of  the  Word  is  realization  of  its  vital  force  or  Truth, 
and  realization  is  manifestation. 


62  Faith. 


STATEM  ENTS. 

I  have  nothing  to  fear. 

I  am  not  afraid,  for  God  the  Good  is  with  me  and 
protects  me  from  all  evil. 

I  am  free  from  all  doubt  and  all  scepticism. 

I  cannot  be  moved  or  influenced  by  the  doubt  or 
scepticism  of  another. 

I  have  faith  in  the  Good  working  in  and  through 
my  life. 

I  now  consecrate  all  the  strength  of  my  faith  to 
the  highest  Good. 

I  have  almighty  faith  in  the  Word  of  God  spoken 
through  me. 

I  have  perfect  faith  in  God  as  my  health,  strength, 
love,  prosperity,  guidance,  protection  and  life. 

Nothing  can  shake  my  faith  in  the  Good. 

I  am  fixed  and  centered  in  the  Truth. 

God  is  for  me,  who  or  what  can  be  against  me. 


Understanding.  63 


Sesson  V\* 


UNDERSTANDING. 

Faith  and  understanding  should  go  hand  in  hand. 
It  is  not  what  is  known  as  blind  faith  that  will  carry 
us  into  the  full  realization  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
but  faith  that  is  based  on  knowledge.  Some  good 
results  are  accomplished  through  blind  faith,  but  it 
can  only  reach  a  certain  point:  it  is  necessarily 
limited.  We  must  have  understanding  to  attain  to 
the  highest.  Understanding  is  not  mere  intellec- 
tuality. It  is  coming  into  conscious  touch  with 
divine  Wisdom  which  is  in  man.  It  is  the  spiritual 
awakening  to  the  saving  power  of  the  Truth.  Igno- 
rance is  the  root  of  all  evil.  Crime,  sickness,  sorrow, 
poverty,  death,  are  made  possible  because  man  does 
not  know  God.  The  knowledge  of  the  world 
counts  for  little  in  the  eyes  of  God.  Paul  says, 
' '  The  wisdom  of  this  world  is  foolishness  with 
God, ' '  and  ' '  The  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than 
men. ' ' 

With  all  its  colleges,  academies  and  centers  of 
learning,  despite  intellectual  heights  attained 
throughout  the  ages,  ignorance  has  been  the  canker 
worm  that  has  eaten  at  the  foundation  of  national 


64  Understanding. 

and  individual  glory,  until  decay  and  ruin  of  both 
mark  historical  epochs.  History  will  repeat  itself 
so  long  as  man's  knowledge  is  based  on  materiality; 
until  he  seeks  as  the  paramount  purpose  of  life  to 
know  God,  and  builds  on  that  foundation.  Man 
must  gain  Self  knowledge  through  soul  identifica- 
tion with  the  Spirit  of  Infinite  Wisdom — God — in 
the  depths  of  his  own  being. 

"No  man  knoweth  the  Son  but  the  Father' '- 
within.       ' '  Neither  knoweth  any  man  the  Father 
save  the  Son" — within. 

Had  we  sufficient  Wisdom,  we  would  never  be 
sick  or  miserable  :  we  would  never  feel  the  lack  of 
any  Good. 

The  Spirit  of  Wisdom  is  your  true  Self.  You 
will  come  into  the  realization  of  this  by  giving  it 
constant  recognition. 

The  word  education  comes  from  the  Latin  word 
educere,  to  lead  out,  or  forth.  True  education  is 
not  the  storing  of  the  mind  with  something  from 
without,  but  it  is  the  developing  or  leading  forth  of 
that  knowledge  which  is  the  basis  of  man's  being. 

Only  by  experience  in  the  spiritual  life  can  we 
come  into  the  understanding  of  the  real  difference 
between  intellectuality  and  spiritual  knowledge. 
We  read  in  the  Bhagavad-Gita  :  "Even  if  thou 
wert  the  greatest  of  all  sinners  thou  shalt  be  able 
to  cross  over  all  sins  in  the  bark  of  spiritual  knowl- 
edge *  *  *  *  .  There  is  no  purifier  in  this 


Understanding.  65 

world  to  be  compared  with  spiritual  knowledge,  and 
he  who  is  perfected  in  devotion,  findeth  spiritual 
knowledge  springing  up  spontaneously  in  himself 
in  the  progress  of  time."  By  devotion  to  the 
Word  ;  by  continued  recognition  of  the  Truth, 
which  we  have  accepted  intellectually,  we  shall 
through  spiritual  assimilation  enter  into  spiritual 
realization  or  true  knowledge.  Spiritual  knowledge 
includes  intellectuality,  but  is  infinitely  superior  to 
it.  For  example,  today  you  hear  a  statement  of 
Truth  ;  you  believe  it  to  be  true  from  the  intellect, 
but  it  has  not  touched  the  heart.  Tomorrow  the 
same  statement  comes  to  you,  perhaps  from  another 
source,  or  as  a  memory,  and  you  are  electrified  by 
its  vivifying  power.  It  seems  to  come  from  the 
center  of  your  being.  From  that  time  forth  you 
are  identified  with  its  underlying  Truth  :  it  governs 
your  thoughts,  words  and  acts  ;  you  live  it  ;  it 
becomes  your  very  self.  This  is  spiritual  knowl- 
edge. The  way  to  the  attainment  of  spiritual  knowl- 
edge is  through  overcoming.  Suppose  you  have 
harbored  unforgiveness.  Intellectually  you  have 
accepted  the  truth  that  the  attitude  of  the  Christ 
Self  is  always  that  of  forgiveness,  but  you  do 
not  feel  the  forgiveness  in  your  heart.  You  are 
true  to  your  principle,  however,  and  persistently 
declare  that  the  divine  One  within  you  forgives. 
The  bitterness  or  feeling  of  injury  becomes  less  and 
less  and  finally  gives  way  to  the  Christ,  and  from 


66  Understanding. 

the  depths  of  your  heart  you  not  only  forgive,  but 
you  go  out  in  love  to  the  one  you  felt  had  wronged 
you.  The  Christ  always  says  to  those  who  are  in 
error  :  "  Father  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what 
they  do." 

The  reason  Jesus  Christ  was  made  perfect  in 
faith,  was  because  he  was  made  perfect  in  knowl- 
edge. He  knew  God  ;  he  knezv  the  Omnipotence 
and  Omnipresence  of  the  Good. 

The  reason  that  people  have  not  been  able  to 
trust  God  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word,  is  because 
they  have  not  known  God.  In  the  degree  that  we 
realize  the  true  and  the  living  God  within,  the  God 
that  is  Love,  Life,  Power,  Wisdom,  All  Good,  we 
shall  be  able  to  trust  it.  When  we  know  God,  our 
trust  in  Him  will  not  be  in  name  only,  or  a  mere 
theory,  but  we  shall  turn  to  Him  in  all  the  practical 
affairs  of  the  daily  life. 

Ignorance  has  declared  :  "God  sends  good  and 
evil ;  God  punishes  and  rewards  ;  God  afflicts  and 
heals."  The  Truth  declares  :  "God  is  the  Omni- 
present, unchangeable  substance  out  of  which  all  the 
needs  of  man  are  fulfilled,  whether  they  are  of  soul, 
mind,  body,  or  environment." 

Can  you  conceive  of  wrath  coming  forth  from 
Love  ;  corruption  from  Wholeness  ;  death  from 
Life  ;  evil  from  Good  ?  Impossible  ;  neither  can 
you  conceive  of  a  God  of  Infinite  Love  sending 
affliction,  disease,  sorrow,  poverty  and  death  upon 


Understanding.  67 

His  children.  You  will  never  be  able  to  trust  God 
to  heal  your  body,  supply  your  needs,  protect  you 
from  evil,  to  give  you  your  Good  so  long  as  you 
believe  it  possible  for  Him  under  any  circumstances 
to  take  your  Good  from  you.  Nothing  has  done 
more  to  destroy  man's  faith  in  God  than  the  dis- 
torted teaching  concerning  the  divine  Will.  God 
has  been  portrayed  to  us  as  a  monster  beyond  the 
most  cruel  and  benighted  earthly  monarch.  It  is 
when  evil  becomes  too  extreme  to  be  cured  or 
alleviated  by  human  power,  that  ignorance  says  : 
"  II  is  God's  will,  and  must  be  borne  with  resigna- 
tion as  the  inevitable."  The  idea  which  has  been 
entertained  by  a  large  portion  of  the  religious  world, 
that  God  afflicts  His  children  to  punish  them,  and 
bring  them  nearer  to  Himself,  is  false  from  the 
beginning.  God  is  not  an  arbitrary  ruler  standing 
over  mankind  with  a  rod,  but  is  the  great  unchang- 
ing, eternal  Law  of  the  Good,  which  works  only 
and  always  for  the  Good.  God's  will  is  for  the 
universal  Good  of  all.  Man  suffers  because  he 
does  not  understand  how  to  hold  himself  at  one 
with  divine  will.  Man  afflicts  and  punishes  himself 
because  he  is  not  wise  enough  to  work  in  harmony 
with  the  great  Law  of  his  being.  Jesus  Christ 
stands  as  the  great  exemplar  of  God's  will.  He 
said  :  "I  come  to  do  the  will  of  my  Father, ' '  and 
he  healed  the  sick  ;  not  a  chosen  few,  whom  he 
deemed  worthv,  but  the  multitudes.  He  delivered 


68  Understanding. 

humanity  from  its  suffering  on  every  side,  and 
especially  did  he  go  out  in  loving  forgiveness  to  the 
sinner.  If  in  the  day  of  Jesus'  ministry  on  the  earth 
it  was  God's  will  that  the  sick  be  healed,  the  hungry 
fed,  the  sinner  forgiven,  and  the  dead  raised,  it  is 
God's  will  today.  Either  this  is  true,  or  we  must 
conclude  that  God  is  vacillating,  or  that  Jesus 
Christ  made  a  mistake  in  precept  and  example. 

A  mother  will  love,  protect  and  excuse  her  child, 
no  matter  how  great  his  error.  No  sacrifice  is  too 
great  to  protect  him  from  the  result  of  his  own 
wrong  doing.  Is  the  love  of  man  greater  than  the 
love  of  God  ?  Mother  love  is  the  highest  type  of 
earthly  love.  Where  was  it  conceived,  and  from 
whence  does  it  spring?  From  the  great  Mother 
Love  of  God.  ' '  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how 
to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much 
more  shall  your  Father  which  is  in  Heaven  give 
good  things  to  them  that  ask  Him." 

If  one  believes  it  is  God's  will  that  he  is  sick, 
poor,  or  miserable,  in  order  to  be  consistent  he 
should  not  take  medicine,  or  try  to  better  his 
circumstances  ? 

There  are  many  dear  ones  chained  to  beds  of 
sickness  because  they  believe  God  wills  it  to  be  so. 
This  thought  alone  is  sufficient  to  hold  them  there, 
for  God's  will  is,  as  they  believe,  unchangeable, 
immutable.  It  is  unto  man  according  to  his  belief, 
and  if  he  perverts  the  idea  of  God's  will  he  is  held 


Understanding.  69 

in  bondage  by  it.  When  we  learn,  however,  that 
God's  will  is  unchangeably  and  immutably  good, 
that  it  is  incapable  of  working  for  anything  but  the 
Good,  it  means  freedom. 

I  know  a  woman  who  had  been  afflicted  from 
childhood.  She  was  reared  in  the  church,  and 
devoutly  believed  that  it  was  God's  will  that  she 
should  suffer.  She  had  been  given  up  to  die  by 
several  different  physicians,  and  had  been  prayed 
over  by  the  clergy.  She  was  finally  prevailed  upon 
to  try  divine  healing,  and  was  lifted  out  of  her  bed 
of  suffering  in  a  week's  time  by  this  declaration, 
used  understandingly  :  "God's  will  be  done  in 
you."  Another  woman  was  pronounced  to  be  an 
incurable  cripple.  At  a  time  when  things  seemed 
very  dark  to  her,  her  minister  came  and  prayed 
that  she  might  have  fortitude  and  patience  to  bear 
the  burden  that  the  gracious  Lord  had  been  pleased 
to  put  upon  her.  He  told  her  it  was  God's  will 
that  she  was  afflicted  in  this  way,  and  that  she  must 
learn  to  bear  it  with  resignation.  A  little  later  she 
turned  to  the  Truth,  and  was  healed. 

Many  devout  and  earnest  souls  have  struggled 
for  years  to  say,  "God's  will  be  done,"  and  have 
not  been  able  to  do  so,  because  it  meant  to  them 
resignation  to  the  most  cruel  affliction  and  suffer* 
ing.  It  is,  however,  a  demonstrable  Truth,  that  if, 
in  the  face  of  sickness,  you  say  with  understanding  : 
"  God's  will  be  done,"  it  means  the  springing  forth 


70  Understanding. 

of  health.  If  you  say  :  "God's  will  be  done,"  in 
the  face  of  inharmony,  it  means  that  harmony  must 
be  established  ;  to  say,  "God's  will  be  done,"  in 
the  face  of  lack  or  poverty,  means  that  the  need 
must  be  supplied.  ' '  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear 
heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man 
the  things  that  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that 
love  Him." 

Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  thinking  that  it  is 
God's  will  that  any  good  thing  be  withheld  from 
you,  but  in  order  that  you  may  receive  the  highest 
Good,  submit  your  will  entirely  to  the  divine  Will. 
Let  your  life  be  governed  in  every  detail  according 
to  the  plan  of  Infinite  Wisdom  and  Infinite  Love. 
All  that  comes  under  the  head  of  universal  Good 
belongs  to  us  as  a  rightful  inheritance.  It  is  a  part 
of  our  divine  Selfhood.  It  is  always  God's  will 
that  we  be  healthy,  successful,  happy,  satisfied, 
wise,  free,  but  in  all  the  finite  workings  of  our  life 
we  should  leave  all  in  the  hands  of  our  Father- 
Mother  Good.  Be  careful  not  to  interpose  the 
personal  will,  born  of  desire — the  will  of  the  mortal 
or  lower  self.  Today  we  may  wish  for  a  thing  with 
all  our  heart,  and  by  the  intensity  of  our  desire  and 
strength  of  our  personal  will,  we  draw  it  into  our 
lives.  Tomorrow  we  find  that  this  is  not  the  thing 
that  is  for  our  highest  Good,  and  it  becomes  a 
stumbling  block  in  our  way.  We  may  be  saved 
such  unhappy  experiences  by  consecrating  the 


Understanding.  71 

personal  will  to  the  will  of  God,  determining  that 
no  will  shall  be  done  in  and  through  our  lives  save 
that  born  of  Infinite  Wisdom  and  Infinite  Love. 

Whatever  we  meet  in  our  lives  that  speaks  of 
error,  is  the  result  of  our  not  understanding  how  to 
yield  our  mortal  will  to  the  will  of  the  highest 
Good.  We  must  learn  to  say  :  "  Not  my  will,  but 
Thine  be  done,"  from  a  heart  filled  with  joyous 
thanksgiving,  because  of  the  positive  knowledge 
that  we  shall  hereby  be  saved  from  the  mistakes  of 
our  own  ignorance  of  divine  plan. 

We  read  in  the  book  of  Job  :  ' '  There  is  a  spirit 
in  man,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty  giveth 
him  understanding."  Jesus  declared  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  or  Spirit  of  Truth  within  should  teach  us  all 
things,  and  bring  all  things  to  our  remembrance. 
This  Spirit  in  man  is  a  tangible  presence.  It  is  the 
indwelling  Spirit  of  Truth,  of  Wisdom,  and  we  may 
call  upon  it  and  trust  it  to  lead  us,  direct  us,  protect 
us,  and  teach  us  in  every  detail  of  our  lives,  from 
the  least  to  the  greatest.  Thousands  of  people 
are  today  depending  upon  it  as  implicitly  as  a 
little  child  depends  upon  the  wise  and  loving 
parent.  Those  who  have  recognized  this  Truth, 
who  have  learned  to  be  led  by  the  Spirit,  make  no 
plans,  but  live  each  day  as  though  it  were  a  whole 
life.  Trust  the  outworking  of  all  things  to  the  holy 
one  within,  who  ever  carries  out  the  divine  plan  for 
the  good  of  all.  This  removes  all  personal  care  and 


72  Understanding. 

responsibility,  and  in  consequence  smooths  many  a 
wrinkle,  and  straightens  many  a  back  bent  from 
carrying  unnecessary  burdens.  Carrying  burdens, 
making  mistakes,  doing  and  undoing,  constitute  no 
part  of  divine  plan.  All  this  stumbling  in  the  daily 
life  may  be  avoided  as  we  learn  to  follow  the 
guidance  of  the  Spirit. 

You  will  learn  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  Spirit,  by 
calling  upon  it  exactly  the  same  way  that  a  little 
child  calls  upon  its  mother.  Do  not  waste  time 
saying,  concerning  any  problem  that  comes  up, 
"  I  don't  know  what  to  do."  Go  into  the  stillness 
of  your  own  soul  ;  ask  the  Father-Mother  there  ; 
ask  the  Spirit  of  Wisdom  ;  the  Holy  Spirit — using 
what  term  appeals  to  you  most — to  tell  you  what  to 
do,  where  to  go,  what  to  say,  or  to  reveal  to  you 
that  which  you  should  know.  Ask,  and  the  answer 
will  come.  Sometimes  it  will  come  immediately 
from  within  ;  sometimes  it  will  come  through  a 
personality,  and  it  has  been  known  to  come  in  a 
dream.  Whatever  avenue  is  used,  it  will  come 
with  that  inner  conviction  of  its  Truth  from  which 
nothing  can  turn  you.  You  will  know  with  that 
knowledge  that  is  beyond  reason,  and  is  based 
upon  something  within  that  cannot  be  put  into 
language. 

Do  not  think  anything  too  trivial  or  too  simple 
to  be  worthy  of  divine  guidance.  There  is  always 
a  best  way,  and  a  right  time  to  do  everything. 


Understanding  73 

Whatever  is  worth  doing,  is  worth  doing  well. 
Therefore  take  this  stand  in  all  the  activities  of  your 
life  :  "  I  of  myself  can  do  nothing  ;  the  Father  in 
me  doeth  the  works."  You  doubtless  have  many 
times  been  guided  and  protected  by  what  you  have 
called  impressions  which  you  have  been  unable  to 
understand.  There  are  many  who  feel  that  when 
they  follow  their  first  impressions  they  are  guided 
aright.  It  is  not  necessarily  the  first  impression 
that  is  the  true  one,  but  the  impression  that  pre- 
sents itself  most  forcibly  to  you  and  is  nearest  in 
accord  with  the  highest  within  you.  These  impres- 
sions when  they  speak  of  the  Good,  and  result  in 
the  Good,  are  from  the  Spirit.  The  reason  that  we 
have  not  been  more  clearly  guided  by  the  Spirit,  is 
because  we  have  not  given  it  intelligent  recognition. 
In  order  to  be  divinely  led,  we  must  constantly  call 
upon,  acknowledge  and  obey  this  inner  voice. 
Otherwise,  it  will  continue  to  be  indistinct  or  as 
though  it  were  not.  This  is  the  practice  of  the 
presence  of  God. 

There  is  a  little  book  entitled  ' '  The  Practice  of 
the  Presence  of  God,  the  Best  Rule  of  a  Holy  Life, ' ' 
containing  the  personal  experiences  of  a  very  spirit- 
ual man,  who  was  a  lay  brother  among  the  bare- 
footed Carmelites  in  Paris,  1666,  and  who  was 
afterwards  known  as  Brother  Lawrence.  This  holy 
man  endeavored  to  walk  always  in  the  conscious- 
ness of  God's  presence,  and  made  great  attainment 


74  Understanding. 

in  that  direction.  He  said  that  we  should  establish 
ourselves  in  a  sense  of  God's  presence  by  continu- 
ally conversing  with  Him.  That,  in  order  to  form 
a  habit  of  conversing  with  God  continually,  and 
referring  all  we  do  to  Him,  we  must  at  first  apply 
to  Him  with  some  diligence  :  but  after  a  little  we 
shall  find  His  Love  inwardly  excite  us  to  it  without 
any  difficulty.  That  we  ought  to  act  with  God  in 
the  greatest  simplicity,  speaking  to  Him  frankly 
and  plainly,  asking  His  assistance  in  our  affairs  just 
as  they  happen,  and  that  God  never  failed  to  grant 
it  as  he  had  often  experienced.  When  he  had  a 
duty  to  perform,  which  seemed  to  him  either  diffi- 
cult or  disagreeable,  he  said  to  God  that  it  was  His 
business  he  was  about,  and  that  if  he  was  to  do  it 
well,  He  must  take  the  responsibility  and  see  him 
through  it.  Then  he  set  about  it  with  no  care  or 
uneasiness  and  in  the  end  always  found  it  well  per- 
formed. Perfect  obedience  is  a  most  essential  point 
in  the  understanding  of  divine  guidance.  There 
are  times  when  personal  desire  will  conflict  with  the 
direction  of  the  Spirit  within.  At  such  times,  if  we 
obey  the  Spirit,  all  things  will  come  out  better  than 
we  could  have  planned  or  foreseen,  and  in  a  way 
satisfactory  to  all  concerned.  If  we  disobey  we 
may  have  to  learn  our  lesson  by  hard  experience, 
and  in  the  end  we  will  have  to  retrace  our  footsteps, 
undo  what  we  have  done,  and  follow  the  higher 
leading.  Bear  in  mind  that  the  Spirit  of  Wisdom 


Understanding.  75 

never  leads  you  to  do  an  erratic  or  fanatical  thing, 
or  anything  that  would  prove  a  stumbling  block  to 
your  brother.  Asceticism  is  not  of  the  Spirit,  but 
grows  out  of  the  unbalanced  or  uncentered  condi- 
tion of  the  mortal.  When  invoking  the  leading  of 
the  Spirit,  first  declare,  ' '  I  can  be  influenced  only 
by  the  Christ  Spirit  within  me  ;  I  am  guided  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  highest  Good. ' ' 

Whatever  your  experience  may  be  at  first,  in 
learning  to  be  led  by  the  Spirit,  it  is  only  practice 
that  you  need.  Continue  to  consecrate  your  life, 
your  desires,  your  will,  and  to  invoke  the  Spirit  until 
you  are  perfectly  at  one  with  it.  Should  you  at 
any  time  think  you  are  acting  in  accord  with  divine 
leading,  and  find  that  you  are  mistaken,  do  not  be 
discouraged,  or  yield  to  doubt,  but  with  even 
greater  trust  than  before,  declare  that  you  cannot 
make  a  mistake,  for  the  hand  ol  God  is  leading 

c> 

you.  If  you  are  true  to  the  highest  you  know, 
you  will  surely  be  redirected,  turned  into  the  right 
path,  and  through  it  all  protected.  Never  give  up 
your  trust,  never  cease  to  depend  upon  the  Spirit, 
and  you  will  be  led  into  that  place  ol  perfect  secur- 
ity, serenity  and  peace,  that  has  ever  been  intended 
for  you  by  infinite  Love. 

The  great  need  of  the  world  is  to  come  into 
knowledge  of  the  indwelling  God.  Through 
knowledge  man  attains  to  Freedom.  "Ye  shall 
know  the  Truth,  and  the  Truth  shall  make  you 


76  Understanding 

free."  The  world  makes  the  mistake  of  condemn- 
ing evil  and  the  evil  doer.  Evil  never  has  been 
overcome,  nor  can  it  ever  be  through  condemna- 
tion. Every  condemning  thought  you  send  out 
takes  root  in  your  own  soul,  and  if  continued  in  will 
manifest  itself  in  body  and  environment  as  some 
false  condition.  There  is  no  justifiable  condemna- 
tion, for  it  never  lessens,  but  always  accelerates 
the  evil.  You  are  condemned  by  your  own 
condemnation,  and  you  cannot  escape  it  so  long  as 
it  endures.  If  you  find  yourself  bitterly  condemn- 
ing an  error  in  another,  you  will  usually  find  some 
phase  or  form  of  that  same  error  in  yourself.  We 
do  riot  like  to  meet  our  false  selves,  and  many 
times  the  mortal  is  greatly  antagonized  when  it 
sees  itself  reflected  in  another.  At  such  a  time  as 
this  be  honest  with  yourself.  Remove  all  con- 
demnation from  yourself,  and  the  neighbor  in 
whom  you  have  seen  yourself  reflected,  and  let 
Love  do  its  perfect  work.  As  an  example  of  this, 
suppose  you  are  condemning  some  one  for  intem- 
perance, say  for  drinking,  or  sensuality  ;  you  enter 
into  excessive  grief,  excessive  anger  or  bitterness, 
over  this  error.  You  are  indulging  in  another  phase 
of  the  same  intemperance  you  are  condemning. 

Instead  of  condemning  a  man  for  evil  from  which 
he  has  not  the  wisdom  to  set  himself  free,  let  us 
teach  him  to  rise  above  it.  Whatever  the  appear- 
ance of  evil,  condemn  it  not,  but  hold  fast  to  the 


Understanding.  77 

Truth  that  in  every  one  is  One  that  is  pure,  holy, 
loving  and  wise.  Look  beyond  the  external 
impurity,  selfishness,  or  ignorance,  and  say  to  the 
Christ  within  :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  Look  for  the 
Good  in  everything  and  everybody,  and  lead  all 
to  do  the  same  by  precept  and  example. 

In  this  sense  was  Jesus  Christ  the  saviour  of  the 
world  ;  in  this  same  way  you  and  I  may  become 
saviors  of  the  world. 

"  He  whose  heart  is  full  of  tenderness  and  truth, 
Who  loves  mankind  more  than  he  loves  himself, 
And  cannot  find  room  in  his  heart  for  hate, 
May  be  another  Christ.     We  all  may  be 
The  saviors  of  the  world,  if  we  believe 
In  the  divinity  which  dwells  in  us, 
And  worship  it,  and  nail  our  grosser  selves, 
Our  tempers,  greeds  and  our  unworthy  aims, 
Upon  the  cross.     Who  giveth  love  to  all, 
Pays  kindness  for  unkindness,  smiles  for  frowns, 
And  lends  new  courage  to  each  fainting  heart 
And  strengthens  hope  and  scatters  joy  abroad, 
He,  too,  is  a  redeemer.  Son  of  God." 

— Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox. 

Solomon  says  :  ' '  With  all  thy  getting,  get 
understanding."  Teach  a  man  to  know  better  and 
he  will  do  better.  Awaken  the  world  to  know  the 
Truth,  and  the  Truth  will  set  it  free. 


78  Understanding. 


STATEM  EN  TS. 

I  am  wise  with  the  Wisdom  of  God. 

I  have  perfect  understanding  of  my  divine  Self. 

I  am  at  one  with  the  Spirit  of  Christ  within  me. 

I  am  filled  with  divine  Wisdom. 

I  am  guided  and  protected  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
within. 

The  Holy  Spirit  teaches  me  all  things. 

The  Spirit  of  Truth  now  reveals  to  me  all  that 
should  be  known  by  me. 

The  Holy  Spirit  directs  me  in  all  that  I  do. 

My  will  is  the  will  of  God.      God's  will  is  my  will. 

I  am  willing  to  do  the  will  of  the  highest  Good. 

I  am  willing  to  yield  my  will  in  all  things  to  the 
will  of  God. 

God's  will  is  now  done  in  me. 

I  now  realize  that  God's  will  can  work  only  for 
the  Good. 

I  trust  the  will  of  the  Good  to  adjust  my  life 
according  to  divine  plan. 

I  know  the  Truth  ;  I  live  the  Truth  ;  I  radiate 
the  Truth. 

I  am  an  open  avenue  for  divine  Wisdom  to  speak 
through. 

The  meditations  of  my  heart,  and  the  words  of 
my  mouth  are  now  acceptable  to  thee,  O  Lord. 


Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law.  79 


Wesson  V\\- 
Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

So  long  as  we  look  upon  ourselves  as  material, 
carnal  beings,  born  of  the  flesh,  we  find  ourselves 
in  bondage  to  the  limitations  that  have  ever  attended 
the  flesh  man.  The  external  man,  or  the  false  self, 
has  become  entangled  in  a  network  of  limitations 
which  may  be  spoken  of  as  man-made  laws.  These 
limitations  are  to  us  laws,  in  as  much  as  they  have 
received  our  recognition  as  agents,  governing  our 
lives. 

These  laws  govern  us  just  so  long  as  we  recog- 
nize them  and  no  longer.  Every  man  is  monarch 
of  his  own  being  ;  each  one  has  dominion  over  his 
own  life.  The  unregenerate  man  finds  himself  in  a 
perfect  maze  of  laws  of  his  own  making.  They  are 
so  many  and  bind  so  tightly,  that  he  necessarily 
breaks  them  and  then  suffers.  The  Truth  teaches 
us  not  to  break  these  laws,  but  that  we  may  trans- 
cend them  through  knowledge  of  a  higher  Law. 
The  divine  Man  recognizes  but  one  Law,  the  Law 
of  Love,  which  works  only  and  always  for  the  Good 
of  all. 

The  criminal  law  holds  in  check  and  applies  only 
to  the  one  who  places  himself  under  it  by  making 


8o  Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

himself  one  of  the  class  for  whom  it  is  intended. 
The  moral,  law-abiding  citizen,  the  man  who  is  a 
law  unto  himself,  does  not  break  the  criminal  law, 
but  is  superior  to  it ;  it  is  to  him  as  though  it 
were  not.  So  as  we  overcome  the  false  self,  and 
live,  move,  and  have  our  being  in  the  divine 
consciousness,  or  in  the  degree  that  we  pass  from 
the  physical  plane  on  to  the  spiritual  plane,  we  find 
ourselves  superior  to  the  limitations  which  belong 
only  to  the  physical  realm  of  the  natural  man.  We 
then  enter  the  Freedom  that  belongs  to  divinity. 

Some  of  these  limitations  come  under  the  head  of 
race  laws  because  they  have  for  ages  been  univer- 
sally acknowledged.  Every  one  born  on  to  the  physi- 
cal plane,  or  the  earth  plane,  is  subject  to  them  until 
liberated  by  the  Truth.  Among  the  race  laws  are 
these:  the  law  of  heredity,  the  liability  to  sin, 
sickness,  sorrow — to  evil  generally  ;  subjection  to 
climatic  conditions,  being  affected  by  heat  and  cold  ; 
liability  to  accident,  old  age,  and  death.  Besides 
race  laws,  we  come  under  those  created  by  the  medi- 
cal world,  those  placed  upon  us  by  our  parents,  and 
the  laws  we  daily  make  for  ourselves.  They  are 
myriad,  but  I  shall  dwell  only  upon  a  sufficient 
number  to  give  the  student  the  principle  by  which 
he  may  transcend  this  bondage  and  prove  its 
nothingness.  Growing  old,  or  entering  into  that 
which  speaks  of  decay,  is  the  result  of  the  identifica- 
tion of  the  consciousness,  with  all  that  makes  up  the 


Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law.  Si 

physical  or  material.  Care,  responsibility,  anxiety, 
fear,  grief,  whiten  the  hair  and  wrinkle  the  skin. 
Carrying  mental  burdens  and  wasting  the  forces  by 
all  kinds  of  passions,  emotions,  agitation,  bend  the 
back  and  bring  weakness.  Recognizing,  seeing 
evil  as  a  reality,  takes  the  lustre  from  the  eye.  It 
is  a  self-evident  fact  that  something  more  than  the 
mere  passing  of  years  is  necessary  to  bring  about 
the  conditions  of  what  the  world  knows  as  old  age. 
A  man  at  fifty  often  looks  older  than  another  at 
seventy-five.  The  people  who  take  life  hard,  to 
whom  evil  seems  very  evil,  grow  old  early.  Bright, 
joyous,  easy-going  or  philosophical  natures  retain 
their  youth.  As  we  realize  more  and  more  the 
unreality  of  evil  :  as  we  trust  more  implicitly  in  the 
Good  :  as  we  do  less  planning,  live  less  and  less  in 
the  past  and  in  the  future,  and  more  in  the  blessings 
of  the  present  :  as  we  invoke  the  Spirit  within,  day 
by  day  becoming  illumined  by  it,  we  find  ourselves 
growing  younger  and  more  childlike.  The  Spirit, 
the  Christ,  is  eternal  youth.  You  in  your  true 
Selfhood  are  Spirit. 

The  law  of  heredity  has  no  more  power  to  hold 
us  in  bondage  than  any  other  claim  of  error.  We 
have  been  taught  that  we  are  created  of  fleshly 
parents  :  that  their  characteristics,  tendencies,  fail- 
ings, diseases,  must  also  be  ours.  This  is  a  false 
idea,  and  grows  out  of  man's  ignorance  of  his  divine 
origin  and  nature.  We  are  children  of  Spirit, 


Sa  Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

not  of  the  flesh.  God  the  Good  is  the  only  creator  : 
God  the  Good  is  the  Father- Mother  Principle.  We 
then,  are  immaculately  conceived  of  the  Good,  born 
of  the  Good,  therefore  can  inherit  only  the  Good. 

You  are  a  free  and  independent  being.  God- 
Love  is  is  your  Father  ;  God- Love  is  your  Mother  ; 
God  is  your  family  ;  God  the  Good  is  the  only 
reality.  Jesus  Christ  said  :  "  Call  no  man  on  earth 
your  father,  for  one  is  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven."  Our  earthly  parents  are  the  avenues 
through  whom  God  expresses  His  Father-Mother- 
hood to  us.  While  we  are  to  be  ever  filial  and 
grateful  to  them,  yet  in  order  that  the  necessary 
freedom  shall  be  established,  we  must  know  and 
keep  ever  before  us  the  Truth  that  God  is  the  only 
creative,  generative  Power. 

Because  your  grandmother  died  of  a  certain 
disease,  it  does  not  follow  that  you  need  to  do  so. 
If  you  feel  that  you  are  suffering  from  any  prenatal 
influence,  or  the  law  of  heredity,  do  not  yield  to  the 
current  but  false  idea  that  it  is  therefore  fixed  upon 
you,  but  take  your  stand  in  the  Highest.  Declare, 
' '  I  am  free  from  the  law  of  heredity  :  I  am  a  child 
of  the  pure  Spirit  of  Love.  I  inherit  only  the 
Good."  By  being  faithful  to  this  thought  you  will 
realize  your  freedom. 

Man  has  looked  upon  death  as  the  way  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  :  but  Jesus  Christ  said,  "The 
kingdom  of  God  is  within  you,"  and  "I  am  the 


Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law.  83 

way,  the  truth  and  the  life;"  referring  to  the  divine- 
Self,  which  is  the  true  gateway  into  the  heavenly 
state.  Paul  says:  "Death  is  the  wages  of  sin." 
Sin  means  missing  the  mark  :  sin  is  ignorance. 
Death  is  the  result  of  not  knowing  the  indwelling 
Christ.  Death  does  not  necessarily  set  us  free 
from  all  suffering,  neither  does  it  plunge  us  into 
punishment  for  sin.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  a 
state  of  perfect  harmony.  The  way  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  through  renewing  the  mind,  or 
entering  the  Christ  consciousness.  God  is  Life 
and  Love,  therefore  death  is  not  a  mandate  of 
God  but  a  man-made  law,  and  one  which  must 
be  overcome  by  the  Spirit.  Paul  says,  ' '  The 
last  enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed  is  death."  He 
also  says,  ' '  The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  Life  in 
Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin 
and  death." 

People  who  are  suffering  from  any  disease  of  the 
body,  need  to  be  set  free  from  the  laws  under  which 
the  materialistic  diagnosis  of  that  disease  has  placed 
them.  The  medical  world  has  agreed  that  certain 
physical  conditions  must  have  certain  results  :  that 
some  diseases  are  incurable,  and  that  a  given  time  is 
required  for  other  diseases  to  run  their  course. 
Whenever  a  case  comes  into  the  hands  of  a  divine 
healer  it  is  necessary  to  set  the  patient  free  from  all 
limitations  placed  upon  him  by  physicians.  This 


84  Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

is  done  by  declaring,  ' '  You  are  free  from  every 
man-made  law  and  governed  only  by  the  law 
of  God."  That  these  laws  or  limitations  can  be 
set  at  naught  is  continually  being  proven  by  the 
vast  number  of  so-called  incurable  diseases  that 
are  healed  through  the  understanding  of  the  higher 
Law. 

A  little  girl  lay  in  a  child's  hospital  in  San 
Francisco  for  many  months,  under  treatment  by 
the  best  physicians  for  spinal  trouble.  She  was  at 
last  informed  that  she  must  die.  Her  mother  was 
advised  to  take  her  home,  as  nothing  could  be  done 
for  her.  She  was  then  placed  under  divine  healing. 
One  of  the  first  things  her  healer  did  was  to  declare 
her  free  from  every  law  imposed  upon  her  by  physi- 
cians, friends  and  relatives,  who  were  all  holding  her 
in  bondage  to  the  decree  that  had  gone  forth.  In 
three  months  time  the  child  was  sent  home  healed, 
and  is  today  well  and  happy. 

A  woman  was  stricken  with  typhoid  fever,  and 
instead  of  sending  for  a  doctor  she  sent  for  a  divine 
healer.  When  the  healer  reached  her  the  patient 
could  not  speak,  and  had  a  high  fever.  In  less 
than  an  hour  the  fever  had  broken,  and  she  was 
visibly  improved.  Her  family,  thinking  she  had 
made  a  great  mistake  in  choosing  divine  methods 
rather  than  medical  assistance,  sent  for  a  physician. 
When  he  came,  the  sick  woman  frankly  told  him 
what  she  was  doing,  and  that  she  did  not  need  his 


Freedom  from  Man -Made  Law.  85 

attendance.  The  physician  commended  her  for 
pursuing  the  course  in  which  she  had  faith  and  said 
that  there  were  more  physicians  recognizing  the 
power  of  divine  healing  than  cared  to  acknowledge 
it.  In  three  days  time  this  woman  was  about, 
attending  her  household  duties.  Six  weeks  is  the 
prescribed  time  for  typhoid  fever  to  run  its  course. 
At  the  time  of  a  previous  attack  when  she  was  held 
under  physical  law,  this  same  woman  was  the 
prescribed  six  weeks  in  recovering. 

Children  suffer  from  laws  placed  upon  them  by 
their  parents.  From  the  time  a  child  is  ushered 
into  the  world  it  is  surrounded  by  fear,  and  held 
subject  to  disease  and  error.  This  very  fact  brings 
evil  upon  children,  and  only  as  the  parents  come 
into  the  Truth,  or  as  they  themselves  learn  the 
higher  Law  can  they  become  exempt  from  it. 

There  is  probably  nothing  that  holds  people 
more  in  bondage  than  laws  of  hygiene,  or  nature's 
laws,  which  are  erroneously  called  God's  laws.  In 
as  much  as  they  limit,  they  are  not  of  God,  but  of 
man.  There  are  hundreds  of  people  who  are 
continually  setting  themselves  free  from  all  that 
comes  under  the  head  of  physical  law.  The  man 
who  knows  himself  a  spiritual  being,  not  material, 
as  mind,  not  matter,  need  not  be  a  slave  to  his 
food.  Man's  digestive  organs  are  controlled  by  his 
mind,  not  by  the  food  that  he  eats.  The  dyspeptic 
is  apt  to  say  :  ' '  But  I  have  eaten  certain  kinds  of 


•S6  Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

food  without  thinking  of  their  hurting  me,  and  I 
have  suffered  in  consequence."  Now  this,  in  a 
general  way,  is  what  happens  with  one  who  feels 
that  he  must  be  careful  about  his  diet.  An  inhar- 
monious state  of  mind  impairs  the  perfect  working 
of  the  digestive  organs.  The  food  that  is  eaten 
under  these  circumstances  does  not  digest,  and  is 
forthwith  condemned.  The  inharmonious  state  of 
mind  continuing,  one  after  another  different  kinds 
of  food  are  condemned  as  injurious.  Fear  being 
added  to  the  original  mental  inharmony,  stomach 
trouble  is  many  times  the  result.  All  kinds  of 
dieting,  all  kinds  of  material  remedies,  are  tried, 
change  of  climate  and  scene  are  resorted  to,  yet 
this  many  times  is  of  no  avail,  because  the  real 
cause  of  the  trouble  is  not  in  the  food,  but  in  the 
mental  condition.  The  food  that  is  put  into  the 
stomach  is  perfectly  innocent,  and  has  no  power  to 
cause  any  evil  effect  except  as  it  is  condemned  as 
evil.  That  which  we  pronounce  as  evil,  to  us  will 
seem  evil.  Many  go  through  these  phases  delin- 
eated above,  and  finally  die  of  fear,  or,  believing 
themselves  utterly  dependent  upon  their  food,  and 
not.  able  to  eat,  are  starved  to  death.  On  the  other 
hand,  many  have  been  healed  of  acute  and  chronic 
stomach  trouble,  and  set  entirely  free  from  bondage 
to  their  food.  I  know  of  one  who  had  been 
troubled  with  indigestion  from  childhood.  She 
tried  everything  in  the  category  of  external  rem- 
edies, and  then  appealed  to  the  Truth.  She  began 


Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law.  87 

at  once  to  put  away  all  thought  about  dieting.  At 
first,  until  her  fear  of  certain  kinds  of  food  was 
overcome,  she  blessed  everything  that  she  ate,  and 
pronounced  it  good,  and  as  she  advanced  in  her 
understanding  of  the  Truth  she  was  perfectly 
healed.  A  certain  woman,  who  was  a  sufferer 
from  chronic  constipation,  had  not  eaten  cheese  for 
years  because  it  is  considered  an  astringent.  After 
coming  into  the  higher  thought,  she  found  the 
trouble  was  not  in  the  cheese,  but  in  her  own 
consciousness.  She  was  healed,  and  found  she 
could  eat  not  only  this  condemned  article  of  food, 
but  many  others  that  had  been  forbidden  her  under 
the  laws  of  hygiene.  A  patient  of  mine  had  for 
many  years  been  attacked  by  a  severe  headache  if 
she  did  not  have  a  cup  of  coffee  at  a  certain  time. 
Some  time  after  coming  into  the  Truth  she  was  out 
on  a  jaunt,  where  the  accustomed  coffee  could  not 
be  obtained.  The  headache  promptly  began  to 
make  its  appearance,  when  she  bethought  herself 
of  her  principle,  and  took  her  stand  against  this 
bondage.  She  declared  she  was  pure  Spirit,  free 
from  every  man-made  law.  The  pain  left  her 
immediately,  and  thereafter  she  was  free. 

The  inconsistencies  of  the  human  mind  teach 
many  lessons  to  those  who  are  open  to  receive  them. 
A  man  who  had  for  years  suffered  from  indigestion, 
said  that  when  he  could  eat  no  other  kind  of  solid 
food,  cucumbers  agreed  with  him.  Two  women 


88  Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

were  talking  in  my  presence  one  day,  and  one  said, 
"  I  cannot  drink  tea  at  night  for  it  always  keeps  me 
awake  ;"  the  other  replied,  "  How  strange,  if  I  am 
wakeful  I  always  drink  a  cup  of  tea  and  it  quiets 
me  and  puts  me  to  sleep." 

A  large  number  of  people  are  still  under  the 
delusion  that  flesh  eating  is  necessary  to  physical 
strength,  and  the  production  of  bone  and  sinew. 
Many  children  are  forced  into  eating  meat  against 
their  own  higher  instincts.  This  fallacy  is  being 
refuted  on  every  hand  by  the  rapidly  increasing- 
number  of  vegetarians.  There  are  many  people 
who  for  years  have  not  eaten  any  kind  of  flesh,  fish 
or  fowl,  and  who  are  strong  and  muscular.  A  good 
example  is  the  Hindu  coolie,  who  is  noted  for  his 
heavy  burden-bearing  and  indefatigable  strength. 
He  has  never  eaten  flesh  but  lives  on  rice.  As  a 
result  of  the  controversy  that  has  arisen  in  Ger- 
many between  vegetarians  and  flesh-eaters,  several 
athletic  contests  have  been  entered  into  for  the  pur- 
pose of  proving  whether  people  who  did  not  eat 
meat  could  retain  their  strength.  Every  contest 
ended  in  a  sweeping  victory  for  the  vegetarians. 

As  man  realizes  more  fully  the  great  law  of  Love 
that  governs  all  life,  he  will  not  allow  himself  to  be 
a  party  to  the  killing  of  animals  for  the  mere  grati- 
fication of  his  palate.  That  in  man  which  desires 
flesh  for  food  is  on  the  lowest  plane  of  his  conscious- 
ness, and  so  long  as  he  feeds  it  he  is  nourishing  his 
lower  nature. 


Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law.  89 

Another  delusion  from  which  the  Spirit  has  power 
to  set  man  free,  is  that  of  taking  cold  as  a  result  of 
external  conditions.  The  disease  commonly  known 
as  cold  does  not  come  from  getting  into  draughts, 
change  of  clothing  from  thick  to  thin,  time  of  bath- 
ing, or  anything  in  the  realm  of  the  external.  The 
cause  is  in  consciousness.  Cold,  bronchial  trouble, 
consumption,  and  all  diseases  of  the  body  are  results 
of  certain  false  states  of  mind.  If,  however,  you 
fear  any  of  these  external  conditions,  it  may  seem 
as  though  you  took  cold  from  them,  but  it  is  really 
the  fear  that  does  the  work  and  not  the  condition 
itself.  Perhaps  at  the  time  you  sat  in  a  draught 
you  were  not  afraid,  and  possibly  you  did  not  know 
you  were  in  the  draught  that  you  believe  to  have 
given  you  cold  ;  but  if  you  are  recognizing  external 
causation,  you  are  holding  yourself  under  the  law 
and  suffer  from  breaking  it. 

Even  as  it  is  true  that  an  essential  step  in  the  heal- 
ing of  stomach  trouble,  is  for  one  to  be  set  free  from 
bondage  to  his  food,  so  must  one  in  overcoming  any 
throat,  lung  trouble,  or  sensitiveness  to  colds,  set 
himself  free  from  the  fear  of  these  outer  conditions. 

A  certain  elocutionist  had  always  found  it  neces- 
sary to  be  very  careful  about  protecting  her  throat 
from  the  night  air,  and  was  subject  to  cold  from 
what  she  considered  the  slightest  indiscretion. 
Coming  into  the  Truth  she  proceeded  to  rise  above 
this  limitation.  One  night  she  awakened  feeling 


90  Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

that  she  was  taking  cold  from  an  open  window. 
She  felt  the  time  had  come  to  take  her  stand  for 
freedom,  so  she  arose,  went  to  the  couch  imme- 
diately under  the  window  and  lay  down  upon  it, 
declaring  that  she  would  no  longer  recognize  evil  in 
God's  pure  air  ;  that  she  was  a  child  oi  Spirit,  free 
in  the  freedom  of  the  Spirit.  In  this  consciousness 
she  fell  asleep.  She  took  no  cold,  and  from  that 
time  she  went  out  in  the  night  air  in  thin  attire,  took 
no  precautions  whatever,  and  had  no  more  trouble 
from  colds. 

Another  woman  had  been  subject  to  pneumonia, 
and  having  a  severe  attack  from  which  no  one 
expected  her  to  recover,  she  was  healed  by  the 
Truth.  She  had  always  slept  with  closed  windows 
because  she  dared  not  breathe  the  night  air.  When 
she  was  convalescent,  she  resolved  to  sleep  with  her 
window  open,  and  lay  aside  a  wool  gown  she  had 
thought  it  necessary  to  wear.  The  night  she  took 
this  stand  she  awakened,  feeling  all  the  evidences  of 
having  taken  cold.  This,  however,  did  not  shake 
her  faith  nor  frighten  her.  She  began  to  speak  the 
Word  for  herself  to  the  effect  that  God,  the  Good, 
was  omnipresent,  and  that  the  air  which  came  in  at 
the  window  was  the  breath  of  God  and  could  bring 
her  nothing  but  a  blessing.  Thus  meditating  she 
fell  asleep  and  in  the  morning  she  was  perfectly 
well.  Still  she  did  not  have  the  courage  to  leave 
off  n  chest  protector  which  for  years  she  had  worn. 


Freedom  from  Man -Made  Law.  9: 

She  left  her  room  one  morning  to  attend  to  her 
daily  duties,  with  the  prayer  in  her  heart  that  she 
might  gain  sufficient  faith  to  put  the  protector  aside 
the  next  day.  She  had  a  bright  day,  fee-ling  un- 
usually well,  and  when  she  returned  to  her  room  in 
the  evening  the  first  thing  that  met  her  eye  was  her 
chest  protector.  She  had  forgotten  to  put  it  on. 
From  that  time  her  freedom  was  established. 

A  Truth  student  overheard  this  conversation 
between  a  physician  and  a  lawyer  :  "  Doctor,"  said 
the  lawyer,  ' '  I  understand  that  you  are  in  the  habit 
of  rowing  violently  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  while  in 
the  heated  condition  that  necessarily  ensues  you 
plunge  into  the  bay  for  a  swim.  Is  not  that  a 
very  dangerous  thing  to  do  ?"  "It  has  always  been 
considered  so, ' '  replied  the  physician,  ' '  but  there 
is  nothing  in  it,  any  one  can  do  it  who  thinks  so. ' ' 

While  without  knowledge,  we  suffer  from  break- 
ing these  man-made  laws,  through  knowledge  of  the 
Self  and  constant  recognition  of  the  spiritual  nature, 
we  rise  above  them.  Do  not  take  any  of  these 
steps  toward  freedom  with  your  heart  full  of  fear, 
but  work  diligently  to  overcome  the  fear.  When 
you  have  become  fearless  through  understanding  of 
the  principle,  you  will  find  that  you  may  eat  and 
drink  what  you  please  and  when  you  please  ;  that 
you  need  take  no  thought  about  texture  of  clothing, 
time  of  bathing,  or  amount  of  sleep  that  you  get. 
Whether  the  air  you  breathe  is  night  or  day,  you 


92  Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law. 

will  know  that  it  is  Good.  ' '  Hearken  unto  me 
every  one  of  you  and  understand  :  there  is  nothing 
from  without  a  man  that  entering  into  him  can  defile 
him  because  it  entereth  not  into  his  heart.  That 
which  cometh  out  of  the  heart  of  the  man  that 
defileth  the  man.  For  from  within  out  of  the  heart 
of  men  proceed  evil  thoughts,  adulteries,  fornica- 
tions, murders,  thefts,  covetousness,  wickedness, 
deceit,  lasciviousness,  an  evil  eye,  blasphemy,  pride, 
foolishness.  All  these  things  come  from  within  and 
defile  the  man."  The  question  has  been  asked, 
"Can  one  drink  alcoholic  stimulants,  use  tobacco 
and  opium,  without  harm  to  himself?"  We  must 
remember  that  freedom  is  not  license.  Emancipa- 
tion comes  only  as  a  result  of  spiritual  unfoldment, 
and  the  spiritual  man  has  no  abnormal  desires. 

Every  time  we  make  a  positive  declaration  about 
our  lives  on  the  shadow  side,  or  side  of  error,  we 
make  a  law  for  ourselves.  Remember  the  I  AM  is 
the  Christ  Self,  and  do  not  desecrate  it  by  making 
false  statements  concerning  it.  Your  words  are 
powerful,  so  do  not  condemn  yourself  to  the  result 
of  your  own  decreeing  by  saying,  ' '  I  am  sick,  I 
am  poor,  I  am  ignorant,  I  am  a  miserable  sinner." 
Speak  only  words  of  Truth  :  only  that  which  you 
desire  to  see  manifest.  Recognize  only  the  one 
great  law  of  the  Good.  Even  as  you  realize  that 
there  is  a  perfect  Law  governing  the  universe  at 
large,  so  it  is  true  that  the  same  la\v  governs  every 


Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law.  93 

atom  of  your  body  and  every  detail  of  your  life. 
When  the  affairs  of  your  daily  life  seem  to  be  chaotic, 
declare  persistently  and  unwaveringly,  ' '  There 
is  only  one  law  working  in  and  through  my  life. ' ' 
This  does  not  mean  that  the  inharmony,  error  or 
chaos  is  the  working  of  the  law,  but  that  it  is  to  be 
overcome  by  the  law,  whose  one  purpose  is  har- 
monious adjustment. 

In  considering  the  application  of  the  principle  of 
Truth  do  not  look  ahead  to  the  ultimatum,  and  con- 
clude that  because  you  cannot  at  this  time  do  the 
greater  works,  that  you  cannot  take  a  step  in  that 
direction.  You  would  not  say  to  the  little  child, 
"  Because  you  cannot  do  an  example  in  the  higher 
mathematics  the  principle  is  false."  You  would 
teach  the  child  as  the  first  step,  to  put  two  and  two 
together,  and  that  as  it  grew  to  understand  the  prin- 
ciple, it  would  be  able  to  do  the  more  difficult 
problems. 

Then  do  not  think  that  because  you  cannot  walk 
the  waves  or  transcend  all  physical  law  at  this  time, 
that  you  must  remain  in  bondage  to  those  limita- 
tions which  are  taking  from  you  your  health,  happi- 
ness and  freedom,  but  apply  your  principle  in  what 
may  be  called  the  lesser  things,  and  know  that  he 
that  is  faithful  in  little  shall  be  made  ruler  over  much. 
The  overcoming  of  physical  law  through  spiritual 
development  has  been  proven  by  many  people  suffi- 
ciently to  demonstrate  the  principle.  A  principle 


94  Freedom  from  Mart-Made  Law. 

that  will  apply  in  part  will,  through  understanding 
and  application,  carry  us  to  the  ultimatum.  One 
has  carried  the  principle  to  its  full  fruition.  Even 
as  Jesus  Christ  stood  at  the  pinnacle  of  his  divinity, 
so  through  knowledge  and  consecration  you  and  I 
may  do  the  same. 

Let  us  at  no  time  in  our  ascent  of  the  mountain 
of  spirituality  trample  the  flowers  that  bloom  at  our 
feet,  by  fixing  our  longing  eyes  on  those  that 
bloom  at  the  top.  Gather  the  beauty  and  fragrance 
of  them  all  every  step  of  the  way,  thus  will  the  top 
be  gained  without  hardship  or  struggle.  In  this 
way  we  may  realize  that  ' '  All  the  way  to  heaven  is 
heaven." 


Freedom  from  Man-Made  Law.  95 


STATEMENTS. 

I  cannot  be  deceived  by  any  appearance  of  evil 
or  error. 

I  live,  move  and  have  my  being  in  the  mind  of 
God. 

I  cannot  be  moved  or  influenced  by  any  thought 
of  evil. 

I  cannot  be  deluded  by  the  material  world. 

I  am  free  from  every  man-made  law. 

I  cannot  be  influenced  or  deceived  by  any  per- 
sonality, either  my  own  or  another's. 

I  am  pure  Spirit,  free  in  the  freedom  of  the  Spirit. 

I  cannot  be  self-deceived. 

I  cannot  be  moved  by  the  error  of  another. 

I  cannot  be  moved  from  my  center  in  divine  Love. 

All  things  in  and  through  my  life  are  working 
under  the  perfect  law  of  God. 


96     Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin. 


Wesson  V\\\- 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness 
of  Sin. 

Humanity  has  for  ages  been  struggling  against 
sin,  sickness,  sorrow,  and  death.  The  reason  that 
it  finds  itself  still  in  bondage  is  because  it  has  not 
sought  the  cause  in  the  right  place.  Man  has 
sought  cause  in  the  external  ;  in  the  realm  of  effect, 
and  naturally  has  not  found  it.  Not  knowing  the 
cause,  it  has  been  impossible  to  remove  the  effect. 
The  salient  point  of  this  lesson  is,  that  the  seat  of 
causation  lies  within,  in  the  thought  realm. 

Whatever  is  now  manifest  of  good  or  evil  had  its 
origin  in  mind.  Whatever  we  are  individually 
manifesting  in  our  lives,  whether  disease  of  body, 
sorrow  of  heart,  inharmony  of  environment,  or 
poverty  of  circumstances,  their  origin  is  somewhere 
in  the  vast  realm  of  our  consciousness.  All  the  Good 
we  are  enjoying  we  have  also  created  by  our 
thought.  This  is  a  great  saving  principle,  and  to 
know  it  is  the  secret  of  attaining  to  Freedom.  If 
the  cause  of  evil  is  in  mind,  to  change  the  mind 
must  necessarily  change  the  result.  "  Be  not  con- 
formed to  this  world,  but  be  ye  transformed  by  the 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin.       97 

renewing  of  your  mind."  Man's  great  need  is  to 
learn  how  to  think.  Few  people  know  what  true 
thinking  is.  The  current  idea  is,  that  if  a  man 
lives  in  accord  with  the  moral  code,  there  is  noth- 
ing more  required  of  him.  Jesus  said,  ' '  Except 
your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness 
of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  It  is  not 
enough  for  man  to  conform  his  outer  life  to  a  cer- 
tain mediocre  standard  of  goodness.  The  Christ 
is  the  true  standard.  Jesus  said  :  "Be  ye  perfect 
even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect. "  It  is 
not  sufficient  for  one  to  merely  control  his  false 
characteristics  and  keep  them  in  abeyance.  They 
must  be  redeemed,  uplifted  and  entirely  overcome. 
Though  anger,  passion,  unforgiveness,  criticism, 
are  buried  so  deeply  in  the  heart  that  they  show  no 
sign  on  the  surface,  yet  they  are  doing  their  destruc- 
tive work,  and  are  vitally  active  in  keeping  man  out 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  false  self  must  not 
merely  be  kept  out  of  sight,  it  must  cease  to  be. 
It  is  not  what  man  is  doing,  but  what  he  is  think- 
ing, that  is  of  paramount  importance.  ' '  Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God."  All 
suffering  comes  from  sinning.  Sin  is  the  trans- 
gression of  the  law  of  God.  The  law  of  God  is 
embodied  in  these  words  :  "Acknowledge  God  in 
all  thy  ways."  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 


98      Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin. 

with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind."  To 
do  this,  means  to  put  all  recognition  of  evil  out  of 
the  consciousness.  Man  suffers  not  alone  from 
conscious  or  willful  sinning,  but  from  ignorance  of 
what  is  really  true  righteousness.  Righteousness 
is  right  thinking  ;  right  thinking  is  thinking  on  the 
Good.  Not  only  does  sin,  according  to  the  world's 
definition,  manifest  as  outward  chaos,  but  certain 
states  of  mind  which  we  have  felt  quite  justified  in 
permitting,  as  surely  find  inharmonious  expression. 
Condemnation,  criticism,  sensuality,  deception,  ava- 
rice, malice,  revenge,  anger,  jealousy,  selfishness,  are 
palpably  false,  and  they  record  themselves  as  cor- 
ruption of  body,  inharmony  of  environment,  or 
poverty  of  circumstances  ;  but  beside  these,  fear, 
grief,  sensitiveness,  anxiety,  doubt,  scepticism,  self- 
depreciation,  human  sympathy,  belong  entirely  ro 
the  mortal,  and  must  be  quite  as  assiduously  put 
away  as  generating  false  conditions.  In  short,  any 
dis-ease — lack  of  ease — in  mind,  will,  if  continued 
in,  express  itself  in  outward  disease. 

There  is  no  one  in  the  world  who  is  not  in  bond- 
age to  many  of  these  states  of  mind  to  some  degree. 
And  when  we  realize  this,  we  may  understand  why 
what  are  commonly  known  as  good  people,  and 
children,  suffer.  Children  are  negative  :  they  are 
like  photographic  plates,  and  often  reflect  the 
inharmony  about  them.  It  is  many  times  neces- 
sary to  teach  the  Truth  to  the  parents  or  guardians 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  forgiveness  of  Sin.      99 

of  a  child,  before  the  child  itself  can  be  reached. 
The  cause  of  children's  suffering,  however,  is  not 
always  attributable  to  those  who  have  charge  of 
them,  for  from  early  infancy  their  mortality  begins 
to  assert  itself  in  false  characteristics. 

Many  people  who  have  tried  to  believe  in  a  per- 
sonal God  have  become  very  much  embittered 
because  of  the  current  idea  that  God  permits  evil 
to  come  to  innocent  people. 

The  great  law  of  the  Good  is  not  responsible  for 
the  suffering  of  humanity.  We  suffer  from  igno- 
rance of  the  Law.  Sin  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than 
ignorance  of  how  to  live  in  conformity  with  divine 
Law.  Whether  in  child  or  adult,  false  thinking  will 
show  itself  forth  as  evil  conditions.  It  is  simply  a 
matter  of  cause  and  effect,  and  not  the  mandate  of  a 
personal  God.  ' '  Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns 
or  figs  of  thistles  ?  Every  good  tree  bringeth  forth 
good  fruit,  but  a  corrupt  tree  bringeth  forth  evil 
fruit.  Of  thorns  men  do  not  gather  figs,  nor  of  a 
bramble  bush  gather  they  grapes.  A  good  man 
out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth  forth 
that  which  is  good  ;  and  an  evil  man  out  of  the  evil 
treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth  forth  that  which  is 
evil." 

There  are  many  who  are  living  in  all  kinds  of 
materiality  and  sin  and  they  are  apparently  happy, 
prosperous  and  healthy.  This  is  because  they  are 
satisfied.  They  are  content,  for  the  time  being,  to 


i<x>     Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin. 

stagnate  on  the  animal  plane,  and  aspire  to  nothing 
higher.  It  is  the  quickened,  awakened  soul  that 
suffers,  not  the  one  asleep  and  content  to  be  so. 
What  might  be  called  a  minor  error  in  a  sensitive, 
aspiring  soul,  will  manifest  itself  more  quickly  and 
seem  more  pronounced  than  a  greater  error  in  a 
soul  that  is  dense  in  its  materiality.  A  hair  will 
stop  the  delicate  works  of  a  watch,  while  it  will  have 
no  effect  on  a  piece  of  heavy  machinery. 

We  must  remember,  however,  that  though  evil 
seems  to  flourish,  all  who  are  not  living  in  the  Christ 
consciousness  are  liable  to  be  overcome  by  evil  at 
any  time,  and  they  are  steadily  marching  down 
toward  old  age  and  death.  The  health  that  is  not 
based  on  knowledge  of  the  Christ  Self  may  at  any 
moment  pass  away  ;  so  may  happiness,  prosperity — 
any  good.  Furthermore  each  soul  must  one  day 
awaken,  for  conscious  life  is  eternal.  Whether  the 
soul  has  laid  off  the  body  or  not,  when  it  begins  to 
cry  out  for  higher  food,  then  comes  the  time  of 
suffering  for  past  error.  When  this  time  comes 
nothing  but  the  Truth  will  emancipate  it. 

Let  us  look  at  man  for  a  moment  in  his  threefold 
nature  :  as  Spirit,  soul  and  body.  The  Spirit  is 
the  divine  Self,  the  eternal  I  AM,  at  one  with  God  : 
the  same  yesterday,  today  and  forever.  The  soul 
is  the  present  consciousness  :  whatever  one  realizes 
or  knows  of  Good  or  evil  at  this  time.  The  body 
is  the  manifestation  or  reflection  of  the  soul  or 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin.     101 

present  consciousness.  The  whole  work  of  the 
soul  is  to  unfold,  to  become  at  one  with  the  Spirit. 
The  body  at  every  step  of  the  on-going  continues 
to  represent  the  soul  consciousness.  As  the  soul  is 
purified,  the  body  shows  forth  health,  strength, 
vigor,  life.  Do  not  think  of  yourself  as  a  body 
having  a  soul.  Know  yourself  as  a  soul  having  a 
body,  which  is  an  instrument  for  its  expression,  and 
which  should  be  under  its  perfect  control. 

Specifically  considering  cause  and  effect,  let  us 
note  the  action  of  mind  upon  body  and  environ- 
ment. The  influence  of  mind  in  causing  and  heal- 
ing disease  is  becoming  a  universally  recognized 
fact.  Hypnotic  suggestion  has  been  thoroughly 
proven  to  be  more  potent  than  an  anaesthetic  in 
preventing  and  allaying  pain,  and  has  become  a 
common  factor  in  the  practice  of  the  physician. 

A  case  was  reported  in  a  medical  journal  of  a 
condemned  criminal  who  was  offered  a  chance  for 
his  life  if  he  would  consent  to  being  exposed  to 
cholera  germs.  The  ostensible  purpose  was  to 
prove  whether  cholera  was  contagious  or  not ;  the 
real  purpose  was  to  prove  the  influence  of  mind. 
The  man  was  told  that  if  he  contracted  the  disease 
and  recovered,  he  should  have  his  freedom.  He 
consented  and  was  taken  to  a  new  house,  placed  in 
a  new  bed  in  which  no  one  had  ever  lain,  and  in 
thirty-five  minutes  he  developed  a  malignant  type 
of  cholera.  It  was  only  by  careful  nursing  and 


io2    Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin. 

assuring  him  that  he  had  not  been  exposed  to  the 
disease,  that  his  life  was  saved. 

A  young  clerk  went  to  his  place  of  business  one 
morning,  as  well  as  usual,  and  one  of  his  fellow  work- 
ers conceived  the  idea  of  telling  him,  as  a  joke,  that 
he  looked  sick.  It  was  taken  up  by  others,  and  he 
finally  succumbed  to  this  repeated  suggestion,  and 
before  noon  became  too  ill  to  remain  at  his  work. 

A  certain  dentist  was  in  the  habit  of  using  an 
anaesthetic  before  cleaning  a  tooth,  and  a  fluid  to 
cleanse  away  the  anaesthetic  afterward.  One  day 
after  a  successful  piece  of  work,  he  discovered  that 
he  had  reversed  his  medicines  ;  that  he  had  used  the 
cleansing  fluid  first,  and  the  anaesthetic  afterward, 
but  the  effect  had  been  exactly  the  same  as  usual. 

I  know  a  physician  of  local  fame  who  states  that 
all  diseases  of  body  are  the  result  of  shocks  to  the 
nervous  system,  and  that  these  shocks  are  caused 
by  the  various  sorrows,  disappointments,  emotions, 
and  inharmonies  that  enter  into  the  daily  life. 

More  and  more  as  the  higher  thought  advances, 
is  the  world  recognizing  mind  as  the  seat  ot  causa- 
tion. Steady  and  sure  must  be  the  march  ol 
Divine  Wisdom  until  ail  know,  as  the  few  do  now, 
that  there  is  no  kind  or  description  of  disease  that 
is  not  the  direct  manifestation  of  a  corresponding 
state  of  mind. 

Every  organ  of  the  body  represents  a  divine  idea. 
As  man  persists  in  perverting  the  divine  idea,  the 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin.     103 

organ  which  represents  it  may  become  diseased. 
The  heart  is  the  symbol  of  Divine  Love.  If  the 
love  nature  is  degraded  :  if  there  is  inharmony  in 
the  love  life,  disappointment,  sorrow,  or  a  sense  of 
emptiness  or  loss  in  the  heart,  the  organ  may  be 
affected  as  a  result.  One  suffering  in  this  way 
should  declare,  "I  am  filled  with  the  Spirit  of 
Divine  Love,  and  it  heals  me."  The  blood  stands 
for  the  Life.  Impure  blood  would  indicate  impure 
thinking,  and  a  healing  statement  is,  "I  am  cleansed 
and  purified  by  the  Spirit  ;  my  life  is  the  Life  of 
God." 

The  eyes  and  the  ears  represent  Divine  Percep- 
tion. Jesus  said  to  those  who  did  not  understand 
him:  "Having  eyes  ye  see  not;  ears,  ye  hear 
not  ;"  and  to  his  disciples,  he  said  :  "  Blessed  are 
your  eyes  for  they  see,  your  ears  for  they  hear," 
clearly  addressing  the  inner  consciousness.  It  is 
the  soul  that  sees  ;  the  external  eye  is  but  the 
window  for  the  vibrations  of  light  to  pass  through. 
Jesus  said,  ' '  If  thine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body 
shall  be  full  of  light. "  The  single  eye  is  the  con- 
sciousness that  recognizes  one  Power  and  one 
Presence,  the  Good,  in  distinction  to  that  which 
sees  good  and  evil  as  equal  realities.  The  ears  also 
stand  for  obedience.  A  good  healing  thought  for 
deafness  is,  "I  am  non-resistant,  child  of  Love  :  I 
hear  the  voice  of  the  Spirit,  and  am  willing  to  be 
obedient  to  it."  To  overcome  blindness,  use  this 


io4    Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin. 

thought,  ' '  I  am  illumined  by  the  Christ  Spirit  within ; 
my  spiritual  eyes  are  open,  and  I  now  clearly  see." 

The  spine  stands  for  the  Divine  Will.  There  are 
three  false  conceptions  of  will  that  cause  spinal 
trouble.  One  who  is  weak-willed,  who,  as  we  are 
accustomed  to  say,  has  no  "back  bone,"  and  who 
is  dominated  by  personality,  should  assume  his 
divine  responsibility.  He  should  cultivate  his  cour- 
age to  stand  unmoved  in  his  convictions,  and  allow 
himself  to  be  led  only  by  the  Spirit  within.  He 
should  hold  the  thought  :  ' '  My  will  is  the  will  of 
God."  One  who  is  strong  willed,  and  dominating, 
should  utterly  yield  his  will  in  all  things  to  the  Divine 
Will.  He  should  declare,  ' '  I  have  no  personal 
will  :  God's  will  is  done  in  me."  Then  he  should 
be  careful  to  take  his  mental  hands  off  from  all  with 
which  he  has  to  do,  allowing  affairs,  charges,  loved 
ones  to  be  governed  wholly  by  the  will  of  the 
highest  Good.  The  third  error  is  the  belief  that 
God's  will  may  afflict.  This  is  explained  at  length 
in  the  sixth  lesson. 

The  hands  stand  tor  loving  service,  and  skill  : 
the  knees  for  divine  humility  :  the  hair  for  the  Holy 
Spirit,  or  man's  radiating  power  :  the  feet  represent 
that  understanding  which  must  be  lifted  troni  the 
plane  of  the  earth  or  materiality,  to  the  spiritual 
plane.  The  work  of  the  feet  is  to  carry  one  for- 
ward, symbolizing  the  on-going.  All  spiritual 
on-going  is  marked  by  the  evolution  ol  the  under- 
standing, as  well  as  the  regeneration  of  the  love 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin.     105 

nature.  Love  and  Wisdom  go  hand  in  hand,  and 
in  the  highest  are  one.  The  teeth  stand  for 
recognition.  The  office  of  the  teeth  is  to  masticate 
the  food  as  the  first  step  toward  assimilation.  The 
first  step  toward  spiritual  assimilation  of  the  bread 
of  life,  the  Word,  is  recognition.  It  is  the  universal 
and  habitual  recognition  of  evil  that  causes  the 
decay  of  the  teeth.  As  one  unfolds  spiritually, 
the  teeth  become  less  and  less  subject  to  decay.  I 
know  of  one  whose  lower  teeth  were  in  such  a  bad 
condition  that  the  dentist  advised  her  to  have  them 
taken  out.  This  she  refused  to  do,  and  determined 
to  save  them  by  the  Word  of  Truth.  She  overcame 
the  most  excessive  pain,  which  was  supposed  to 
come  from  the  condition  of  her  teeth,  arrested 
decay  in  them,  has  filled  twro  or  more  cavities,  and 
the  work  is  still  going  on.  I  know  of  another 
woman  past  fifty  years  of  age,  who  filled  live 
cavities  in  her  teeth  within  a  few  months  time 
through  her  understanding  of  Truth.  A  good 
thought  for  the  preservation  of  the  teeth  is,  "I  am 
conscious  only  of  the  Good.  I  am  at  one  with  the 
unchanging  Substance  of  God."  To  fill  a  tooth, 
speak  directly  to  it,  and  say  :  ' '  You  are  cleansed 
and  purified  by  the  Spirit  ;  you  are  filled  with 
Divine  Substance." 

The  lungs  stand  for  the  active  life  principle. 
They  are  the  receptacle  of  the  breath,  and  the 
breath  is  the  life  of  God,  active.  Any  error  that 


106    Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin. 

seems  to  vitally  affect  the  life,  may  cause  disease  of 
the  lungs. 

There  is  no  fixed  law  concerning  these  corres- 
pondences. There  can  be  nothing  unvarying  on 
the  side  of  error.  While  the  correspondences  can 
be  followed  in  a  general  way,  it  is  always  necessary 
to  ask  the  Spirit  in  each  individual  case  to  reveal 
the  cause  of  the  trouble.  One  error  in  conciousness 
may  show  forth  as  a  certain  disease  in  one  person, 
and  take  quite  a  different  form  in  another  ;  or  the 
same  disease  in  two  people  may  have  its  origin  in 
different  states  of  mind.  Generally  speaking,  con- 
demnation, criticism,  sarcasm,  pride,  a  sense  of 
emptiness  in  the  love-life,  may  manifest  as  rheuma- 
tism, neuralgia,  skin  disease,  and  an  impoverished 
condition  of  the  blood.  Passion,  anger,  irritation, 
emotion  of  any  kind,  may  throw  the  digestive  organs 
out  of  order.  It  is  commonly  asserted  that  dys- 
pepsia makes  one  cross,  morbid  or  depressed,  while 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  the  state  of  mind  that  causes 
the  disease.  Any  one  in  this  state  should  declare: 
' '  I  am  filled  with  the  peace,  love,  and  harmony  of 
God."  Fear,  sensuality,  lust,  agitation,  may 
manifest  as  cold  in  its  various  forms,  such  as  catarrh, 
bronchial  trouble,  and  consumption.  A  healing 
statement  is,  "I  am  cleansed  and  purified  by  the 
Spirit  of  Divine  Love  :  Love  governs  me,  controls 
me,  and  satisfies  me."  Fire  symbolizes  the  warm- 
ing, cleansing  power  of  Divine  Love,  and  whenever 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin.     107 

the  material  remedy  would  be  hot  applications, 
declare  for  the  patient  his  oneness  with  Divine  Love. 
I  know  a  woman  who  was  healed  of  pneumonia 
within  a  few  days,  by  such  statements  as,  "You 
are  quickened,  vivified,  warmed,  and  relaxed  by  the 
Spirit  of  Divine  Love.  You  are  filled  with  Divine 
Love.  You  are  Divine  Love."  Oil  is  also  a 
symbol  of  Love.  It  symbolizes  the  softening, 
relaxing-,  soothing  quality  of  love,  which  makes  all 
things  move  easily.  That  which  we  love  to  do  we 
do  with  ease.  When  there  are  tense,  contracted, 
congested  conditions  of  the  body,  for  which  oil 
would  be  the  material  remedy,  anoint  the  con- 
sciousness with  the  Word  of  Love.  Such  conditions 
as  these  manifesting  in  the  body,  give  positive 
evidence  of  the  same  state  in  consciousness,  and 
relief  will  quick.ly  be  realized  under  the  Word,  ' '  You 
are  warmed  and  relaxed  by  the  oil  of  Divine  Love." 
This  statement  was  held  for  a  woman  whose  body 
was  drawn  out  of  shape  by  contraction  of  the  cords 
and  muscles,  accompanied  by  the  most  excruciating 
pain,  and  within  fifteen  minutes  she  was  entirely 
relaxed  and  resting  in  perfect  peace.  Within  an 
hour  she  was  up  and  about  as  usual.  On  previous 
occasions  of  this  kind,  before  she  turned  to  the 
Truth,  she  was  always  placed  under  the  influence 
of  morphine,  and  was  a  week  or  more  in  recovering. 
Fear  and  lust  have  been  known  to  cause  cancer. 
A  healing  thought  for  this  trouble  would  be  :  "All 


io8    Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin. 

accumulation  of  error  within  me  is  now  melted 
down  and  consumed  by  the  fire  of  Divine  Love." 
To  overcome  fever,  declare  that  the  patient  is  free 
from  all  fear,  resting  in  the  peace  of  the  Spirit. 
Speak  your  words  of  peace  in  the  quietest,  gentlest 
way  of  which  you  can  conceive,  scarcely  breathing 
the  words  to  yourself.  Great  stillness  is  necessary 
where  there  is  fever.  Pain  is  caused  both  by  con- 
scious and  unconscious  resistance.  It  will  succumb 
to  the  thought,  ' '  There  is  nothing  in  me  that  resists 
the  Spirit  ;  I  am  filled  with  the  Peace  of  God." 

Unforgiveness  many  times  shows  in  the  body  as 
kidney  trouble.  Pride  stiffens  the  joints,  causes 
stagnation  of  the  blood  and  swelling.  The  counter- 
acting thought  is:  "I  am  meek  and  lowly  of  heart. ' ' 
One  effect  of  sensitiveness  is  tooth-ache.  A  sense 
of  bfing  wronged,  harboring  injured  feelings,  or 
injured  pride,  may  manifest  in  accident  or  injury  to 
the  body.  Selfishness  may  cause  the  organs  of  the 
body  to  become  sluggish  in  their  functions  ;  torpid 
liver  is  one  result.  All  errors  in  consciousness  really 
have  their  root  in  selfishness.  Analyze  any  false 
characteristic,  and  you  will  find  self  love  is  the 
foundation  on  which  it  rests.  Selfishness  is  one  of 
the  great  causes  of  poverty.  ' '  Look  out  for 
number  one,"  is  the  whole  basis  of  action  in  the 
world,  and  so  long  as  man  lives  from  this  stand- 
point poverty  will  endure.  Unhealthy  circum- 
stances, lack,  are  no  truer  than  an  unhealthy  body, 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin.     109 

and  the  same  principle  is  applicable  in  the  overcom- 
ing of  both.  Overcome  the  cause  in  mind,  and  the 
effect  will  be  removed.  The  law  is  perfect  and  sure  : 
"  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you,  *  * 

lor  with  the  same  measure  that  ye  mete  withal,  it 
shall  be  measured  to  you  again."  If  we  would 
receive  any  Good,  we  must  first  give.  If  we  would 
be  loved,  we  must  love  ;  if  we  would  receive  justice, 
we  must  be  just  ;  if  we  would  be  forgiven,  we  must 
forgive.  If  we  would  be  prosperous  and  successful 
in  our  undertakings,  we  must  make  the  key  note  of 
our  lives,  giving,  not  getting.  People  sometimes 
grasp  at  the  truth  as  an  added  means  to  carry  out 
their  selfish  ends,  but  it  cannot  be  desecrated  in  this 
way.  The  Good  must  be  sought  for  its  own  sake  ; 
the  fruits  are  the  natural  result.  ' '  Seek  ye  first 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness  and  all 
these  things  (all  things  needful)  will  be  added  unto 
you."  We  receive  from  the  great  Spirit  of  the 
Good  just  what  we  give  to  It.  In  the  degree  that 
we  hold  ourselves  from  the  Good,  we  shut  the  Good 
out  from  our  lives.  Bear  in  mind  that  the  divine 
mission  of  each  one  is  to  bean  open  avenue  through 
which  the  Good  may  flow  forth  to  all.  If  we  close 
up  that  avenue  with  selfish  desires  and  considera- 
tions, we  shut  out  our  own  good,  not  in  one  way 
only,  but  in  many  ways,  and  finally  we  stagnate 
and  die.  Poverty  may  also  come  to  one  as  a  result 
of  centering  the  thought  on  loss,  or  from  a  feeling 


rro    Cause  of  Disease,  or  forgiveness  of  Sin. 

that  life  is  empty  and  void.  For  example,  a  man 
may  be  well  conditioned  in  life,  having  family, 
friends,  abundance.  He  meets  with  a  loss  ;  he 
grieves  over  it,  talks  about  it,  magnifies  it,  and 
finally  his  concentrated  thought  upon  loss  manifests 
in  a  succession  of  misfortunes.  Life  then  seems 
empty,  and  he  is  held  in  that  state  so  long  as  he 
continues  to  tear  down  with  his  thought.  The 
world  says,  "  misfortune  never  comes  singly  ;"  but 
it  may  come  singly  and  be  entirely  overcome  by  the 
one  who  will  meet  every  indication  of  error  by  a 
positive  declaration  of  the  opposite  Good.  When 
evil  begins  to  manifest  itself  in  your  life,  do  not  think 
it  is  there  to  overcome  you.  It  is  not.  It  merely 
represents  something  in  you  that  needs  to  be 
redeemed.  You,  in  your  true  Selfhood,  are  the 
Christ.  Error  says  to  you,  ' '  Redeem  me,  heal 
me."  All  your  false  thoughts  and  characteristics 
appeal  to  you  to  uplift  them  and  to  show  them  the 
way  into  the  kingdom  of  harmony,  or  heaven. 
Then  put  away  all  fear  of  evil,  knowing  your  power 
to  overcome  it. 

While  the  student  is  admonished  to  look  within, 
it  is  not  wise  to  dwell  upon  seeking  specific  cause 
of  evil.  Hold  your  thought  upon  the  Supreme 
Good,  and  the  error  will  fall  away  for  want  of  recog- 
nition. "Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee." 

The  true  forgiveness  of  sin  is  the  redemption  of 
the  sinner.  To  forgive  sin  is  to  give  good  for  evil, 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  Forgiveness  of  Sin.     in 

to  give  wisdom  for  ignorance,  love  for  hatred  ;  it  is 
to  overcome  the  mortal  by  the  divine.  Love  is  the 
redeeming  power  of  the  world,  and  as  the  soul 
becomes  permeated  with  love,  sin  is  forgiven  or  is 
lost,  as  the  darkness  is  lost  in  the  light. 

This  is  beautifully  expressed  by  Henry  Drum- 
mond,  in  the  following  language  :  "  You  are  to  so 
cultivate  the  soul  that  all  its  powers  will  open  out 
to  God,  and  thus  beholding  God,  be  drawn  away 
from  sin." 


Cause  of  Disease,  or  forgiveness  of  Sin. 


STATEM  EN  TS. 

Nothing  can  move  me,  disturb  me,  or  irritate  me. 

I  am  filled  with  the  loving  patience  of  the  Christ. 

Anger  has  no  place  in  me  ;    nothing  can  tempt 
me  to  anger. 

I  am  filled  with  the  Love  that  is  God. 

I  am  meek  and  lowly  of  heart. 

I  am  free  from  all  thought  for  self. 

I  am  free  from  all  desire  for  self. 

I  am  pure,  holy,  selfless  child  of  God. 

There  is  no  condemnation  in  me. 

I  have  not  one  condemning  thought  for  anything 
or  any  body. 

I  am  filled  with  Divine  Love. 

Love  consumes  all  jealousy,  all  envy,  all  hatred, 
all  unforgiveness. 

It  is  easy  for  me  to  forgive. 

It  is  easy  for  me  to  realize  Divine  Love. 

I   now  forgive  everybody,  and  my   Father  does 
now  forgive  me. 

The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  know  no  lack. 

I    am    rich    in    spiritual    riches    which    do     now 
manifest  in  the  fullness  of  my  every  need. 

I  have  no  consciousness  of  lack  ;    I  am  rich  in 
God's  Love. 

I  am  now  cleansed,  purified,  healed  and  blessed 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  which  fills  me. 


Unity.  113 


UNITY. 

We  are  entering  upon  the  understanding  of  a 
religion  which  is  practice,  not  theory.  The  literal 
meaning  of  the  word  religion,  is  to  bind  back,  to 
relate,  and  taken  in  its  broader  or  truer  sense,  it 
means  to  bind  back  to  the  Source,  to  know  the 
true  relationship  with  God. 

Every  human  soul  consciously  or  unconsciously 
aspires  to  be  at  one  with  God.  We  have  seen  that 
the  consciousness  of  separateness  from  God  is  the 
cause  of  our  suffering.  Our  work,  then,  lies  in 
making  the  reunion. 

Man  came  forth  from  God  perfect  in  His  image 
and  likeness.  He  must  consciously  return  to  God, 
and  again  know  himself  in  His  image  and  likeness. 
Not  through  death  is  this  union  to  be  made,  but 
through  self  purification,  by  the  cleansing  fire  of 
Divine  Love.  We  must  learn  the  great  lesson  of 
Love,  unselfish  Love, which, when  it  enters  the  heart, 
brings  us  nearer  and  nearer  to  our  fellow  men.  As 
we  become  more  at  one  with  God,  we  become  more 
at  one  with  all  humanity.  '  'As  the  spokes  of  a  wheel 
grow  nearer  together  as  they  approach  the  hub,  so 


ii4  Unity. 

man  grows  nearer  to  man  as  he  approaches  God." 
You  niay  measure  your  distance  from  God  by  that 
which  lies  between  you  and  your  fellow  men.  ' '  He 
that  loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen,  how 
can  he  love  God  whom  he  hath  not  seen?"  This 
we  may  apply  in  a  most  practical  way  in  our  daily 
life.  It  is  possible  to  come  into  harmonious  touch 
with  every  one  that  comes  into  your  life.  You 
need  not  try  to  love  the  selfish,  disagreeable,  or 
unlovable  one  in  your  neighbor,  but  remember  that 
the  Divine  One  is  there,  and  that  you  have  power 
to  call  it  forth  by  your  persistent  determination  to 
see  only  the  Good.  While  we  cannot  always  love 
one  in  all  the  outward  appearance  of  error  that  may 
be  encrusting  him,  we  may  with  the  eye  of  the 
.Spirit  look  beneath  the  shell  and  love  the  divine, 
the  true  Self.  This  Self  will  finally  come  forth  to 
meet  your  love,  like  a  flower  to  meet  the  sunshine, 
A  woman  who  is  endeavoring  to  live  the  Christ 
principle  went  to  live  next  door  to  a  certain  family, 
and  from  the  first  they  began  to  show  great  unkind- 
ness  to  her  little  girl.  Instead  of  resenting  this 
treatment,  the  mother  of  the  child  knew  the  one 
true  remedy  was  Love.  So  she  began  to  think 
how  she  could  show  that  family  her  love  for  them. 
It  was  not  pretence  on  her  part,  but  genuine  Christ 
Love  that  went  out  to  them,  and  it  soon  found  a 
way  to  express  itself  in  some  neighborly  act.  From 
that  time  forth  all  antagonism  melted  away  ;  every 


Unity.  115 

effort  was  made  to  undo  the  wrong  that  had  been 
done,  and  perfect  harmony  was  established.  Every 
one  comes  into  your  life  to  receive  of  that  pure  Love 
which  is  your  true  Self.  If  you  rind  joy  in  loving 
the  one  that  is  dear  to  you  today,  how  much  greater 
will  be  that  joy  when  every  one  becomes  to  you  a 
loved  one,  and  there  wells  up  in  your  heart  a 
continuous  stream  of  love  that  rlows  out  to  all 
mankind. 

If  you  find  yourself  feeling  that  you  have  nothing 
in  common  with  a  person,  that  you  are  separate  in 
tastes,  interests  and  desires  ;  if  there  is  antagonism 
or  inharmony  between  you,  do  not  make  the  mis- 
take of  thinking  your  neighbor  all  at  fault,  but 
stand  on  your  principle.  Never  look  outside  your- 
self for  cause,  but  continually  hold  these  thoughts  : 
' '  I  am  at  one  with  your  true  Self. "  "I  see  you  as 
God  sees  you. "  "  The  true  relationship  is  now 
established  between  thee  and  me."  If  in  this  way 
you  are  faithful  to  the  highest  within  you,  you  will 
find  that  all  feeling  of  difference  will  give  place  to 
warm  friendship.  Jesus  said :  ' '  Love  your  enemies. ' ' 
By  ever  invoking  the  spirit  of  Divine  Love,  holding 
last  to  the  truth  that  "  Love  never  faileth,"  we  shall 
love  our  enemies  into  our  friends  ;  change  inharmony 
into  harmony,  chaos  into  order,  and  thus  establish 
our  kingdom  of  heaven  on  the  earth. 


n  6  Unity. 

"  The  longer  I  live  and  the  more  I  see 
Of  the  struggle  of  souls  towards  the  heights  above, 
The  stronger  this  Truth  comes  home  to  me, 
That  the  universe  rests  on  the  shoulders  of  love. 
A  love  so  infinite,  deep,  and  broad, 
That  men  have  re-named  it  and  called  it  God." 

The  one  who  is  wise  faces  every  problem  in  life 
with  the  conscious  power  to  solve  it.  Never  make 
the  mistake  of  trying  to  run  away  from  your  over- 
coming. We  can  not  run  away  from  our  problems, 
because  we  can  not  run  away  from  ourselves. 
Today  we  meet  a  false  condition  ;  we  may  try  to 
run  away,  but  that  in  the  soul  consciousness  which 
made  the  error  possible,  still  remains.  Whether 
we  have  gone  from  east  to  west,  or  from  north  to 
south,  we  will  meet  the  same  thing  again  and  again, 
until  the  cause  is  removed.  Turn  and  meet  the 
condition  with  the  conscious  knowledge  that  the 
Good  is  the  only  Power  :  melt  it  down  with  Divine 
Love  ;  overcome  it  with  the  Christ  Spirit,  and  your 
freedom  is  established.  Our  environment  need 
never  retard  our  spiritual  on-going.  Whatever  the 
external  circumstances,  nothing  can  take  from  us 
our  freedom  of  thought,  and  if  the  thought  is  held 
centered  on  the  Good,  whatever  is  false  in  the 
environment  must  necessarily  fall  away.  Make 
every  obstacle  a  stepping  stone  to  greater  realiza- 
tion of  the  divine  character,  and  each  experience 
will  become  a  blessing.  The  way  to  freedom  does 
not  necessarily  lie  through  hard  experiences,  but 


Unity.  117 

if  you  find  yourself  in  the  midst  of  an  experience, 
make  it  an  opportunity,  not  a  stumbling  block. 
There  is  always  a  way  out  of  every  difficulty. 
There  is  always  an  easy  way  to  overcome.  As  we 
become  more  and  more  at  one  with  Divine  Love 
and  Wisdom,  we  shall  find  ourselves  less  and  less 
involved  in  hardships. 

The  Spirit  ever  unites,  while  materiality  tends 
always  toward  separation.  On  the  material  plane 
we  find  separation  :  nation  from  nation,  family  from 
family,  individual  from  individual.  On  the  spiritual 
plane  we  are  all  united  in  one  common  brotherhood, 
founded  on  the  rock  of  selfless  Love.  Love  is  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law.  Love  _makes  it  easy  for  us  to 
be  kind  to  everything  and  to  everybody.  Love 
teaches  us  to  be  tolerant  with  the  errors  of  others, 
and  with  all  people's  ideas  and  beliefs  ;  to  seek  ever 
for  points  of  agreement,  and  to  avoid  antagonizing. 
"Agree  with  thine  adversary  quickly  whilst  thou 
art  in  the  way  with  him."  The  Truth  is  broad 
enough  to  find  a  place  of  meeting  in  all  sects, 
denominations  and  religions  of  the  world.  There 
is  no  phase  of  religion  which  does  not  contain  some 
Truth,  else  it  could  not  stand,  and  the  fundamental 
Truth  in  all  religions  is  the  same.  Do  not  allow 
yourself  to  condemn  other  people's  ideas  simply 
because  they  differ  from  your  own  ;  nor  to  imagine 
that  God  is  working  only  through  the  little  avenue 
in  which  you  find  yourself.  Know  that  infinite 


n8  U  n'ity. 

Love-Wisdom -Power  seeks  to  express  itself  through 
every  possible  avenue  and  on  every  plane  of  being, 
to  the  very  highest  of  which  that  plane  admits. 
When  you  talk  with  the  Jew,  your  common  meeting 
ground  is  the  supreme  power  of  the  one  God. 
Your  point  of  agreement  with  the  Catholic  is  the 
power  and  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ.  When  you  talk 
with  a  Hindoo,  remember  that  the  Christ  mani- 
fested through  Buddha  as  well  as  through  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  (though  not  in  the  fullness),  and  that  the 
teachings  of  both  are  largely  the  same.  When  you 
talk  with  a  man  who  thinks  he  does  not  believe  in 
God,  present  to  him  the  great  Law  of  the  Good,  or 
the  Supreme  Intelligence  which  governs  the  uni- 
verse. Through  agreement  with  that  which  is  true 
in  each  man's  religion,  you  will  be  able  to  lead  all 
who  are  ready  to  the  one  fundamental  principle,  the 
Christ  within  ;  the  divine  Man.  Unity — oneness 
with  all  life  whatever  the  manifestation,  is  the  watch- 
word of  the  Spirit.  Make  yourself  at  one  with  the 
life  in  all  nature  ;  with  the  breeze  that  sighs  through 
the  trees  ;  with  the  ceaseless  rhythm  oi  the  ocean  ; 
with  the  mighty  stillness  of  the  mountains  ;  with 
the  vastness  of  the  sky.  Make  yourself  at  one  with 
the  life  in  the  worm,  the  gnat,  the  snake,  and  the 
fiercer  animals,  from  which  in  terror  we  have  been 
taught  to  shrink. 

We  read  in  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  :    "  The  wolf 
shall   dwell  with  the  lamb  and  the  leopard  shall  lie 


Unity.  119 

down  with  the  kid  ;  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion 
and  the  fading  together,  and  a  little  child  shall  lead 
them.  *  *  And  the  sucking  child  shall  play 

on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall 
put  his  hand  on  the  adder's  den.  They  shall 
not  hurt  or  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain,  for  the 
earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  as 
the  waters  cover  the  sea. ' '  Jesus  declared  that  they 
who  believed  should  take  up  serpents  and  they 
should  not  be  hurt.  The  ' '  knowledge  of  the  Lord' ' 
is  the  knowledge  of  Love.  To  Love  and  Wisdom 
all  things  are  possible.  Love  melts  down  all  bar- 
riers. Love  is  the  healing  power,  the  unifying 
power.  Making  our  union  with  Love  is  the  true 
atonement,  the  at-one-ment. 

The  vicarious  atonement,  as  it  is  commonly  un- 
derstood, is  a  dishonor  to  a  God  of  Love.  Jesus 
Christ  did  not  pass  through  the  death  on  the  cross 
to  appease  an  angry  God  for  the  sins  of  humanity. 
Neither  was  there  any  expiation  of  its  sins  through 
this  act  alone.  The  crucifixion  was  a  great  object  les- 
son, symbolizing  that  which  had  already  taken  place- 
in  Jesus  ;  the  crossing  out  or  cancellation  of  the  false 
self.  Jesus'  one  great  purpose  in  allowing  himself 
to  die  upon  the  cross  was  that,  through  the  resur- 
rection, he  might  prove  the  nothingness  of  death. 
It  was  necessary  for  Jesus  to  die  in  order  to  raise 
himself  from  the  dead.  In  raising  himself  from  the 
dead  he  proved  its  unreality  to  the  one  who  is  made 


i2o  Unity. 

perfect  in  knowledge.  ' '  Greater  Love  hath  no 
man  than  this  that  he  lay  down  his  life  for  his 
friends,"  said  this  master.  The  laying  down  of  his 
life  was  not  in  the  dying,  but  in  the  living.  He  laid 
down  his  life  from  conception  to  ascension  in  ex- 
emplification of  a  universal  principle.  Jesus  gave 
precepts  for  the  overcoming  of  all  sin,  mistakes  or 
errors  of  the  human  soul,  and  exemplified  these  pre- 
cepts by  his  life.  He  is  the  perfect  example  of  the 
saving  principle.  In  this  sense  only  is  he  the  savior 
of  the  world.  He  was  enabled  to  accomplish  his 
works,  not  because  of  any  fundamental  superiority 
to  the  rest  of  God's  children,  but  because  of  his 
spiritual  crucifixion  or  crossing  out  of  the  false  con- 
sciousness, thereby  making  his  at-one-ment  with 
God.  Making  the  at-one-ment  with  God  is  the 
only  atonement  there  is  or  ever  can  be  for  sin. 
The  atonement  for  sin  is  the  forgiveness  of  sin. 
The  forgiveness  of  sin  is  the  wiping  out  or  over- 
coming of  sin.  To  overcome  sin  is  to  become  at 
one  with  all  that  is  comprised  in  the  Good.  To 
become  at  one  with  Love  is  to  become  separate 
from  hate  ;  to  become  at  one  with  purity  is  to 
become  separate  from  impurity  ;  to  become  at  one 
with  joy  is  to  become  separate  from  sorrow.  This 
atonement  for  error  each  soul  must  make  for  itself. 
Jesus  showed  the  way,  each  one  must  walk  therein. 
The  Christ  Self  is  the  true  mediator  between  man 
and  God.  The  Christ  within  you  is  the  only  savior 


Unity.  121 

of  your  world.  When  you  have  supplanted  your 
consciousness  of  error  by  that  of  the  Good,  you 
will  have  made  your  own  atonement,  at-one-ment, 
through  your  divine  Sonship,  with  God. 

As  we  look  through  the  symbolism  into  the  spirit 
of  the  church  ordinances,  we  find  them  rich  in  this 
one  idea,  unity  of  God  and  man.  Jesus  admon- 
ished his  disciples  to  eat  his  body  and  drink  his 
blood,  which  he  symbolized  by  bread  and  wine. 
The  body  represents  the  Substance,  the  Spirit,  the 
Life.  To  eat  the  body  and  drink  the  blood  of  the 
Christ  is  to  identify  the  consciousness  with  the 
Christ  Spirit ;  to  live  the  Christ  life.  The  idea  of 
eating  and  drinking  is  used  in  different  places  in 
the  scripture  to  indicate  soul  identification  with  a 
principle,  and  in  this  sense  Jesus  used  it.  We  are 
to  eat  and  drink,  digest  and  assimilate  the  Christ 
nature,  thus  making  it  our  very  own.  Jesus  said, 
' '  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man  and 
drink  his  blood,  ye  have  no  life  in  you.  He  that 
eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood  dwelleth 
in  me  and  I  in  him.  This  is  the  bread  that 
came  down  from  heaven  ;  not  as  your  fathers  did 
eat  manna  and  are  dead  :  he  that  eateth  this 
bread  shall  live  forever."  And  when  his  disciples 
murmured  because  of  their  misunderstanding,  he 
said :  "  It  is  the  SPIRIT  that  quickeneth,  the  flesh 
profiteth  nothing ;  the  WORDS  I  speak  unto  you 
they  are  SPIRIT  and  they  are  LIFE."  Fasting 


122  Unity. 

is  the  symbol  of  self  denial.  We  gain  nothing 
spiritually  from  external  fasting  unless  it  lessens  our 
false  consciousness.  The  mere  sacrifice  of  the 
moment  counts  for  little.  It  is  from  false  thinking, 
we  need  to  fast.  The  spirit  of  fasting  and  com- 
munion is  the  same.  As  we  fast  from  the  false 
consciousness  or  false  self,  we  are  necessarily  in 
communion  with  or  feasting  on  the  true  Life  or 
Substance  of  the  Christ  Self. 

The  essential  baptism  is  that  of  the  Spirit.  Water 
symbolizes  the  cleansing  power  of  the  Spirit,  and  the 
true  baptism  is  the  use  of  the  Word,  which  cleanses 
the  consciousness  from  all  error  and  immerses 
it  in  the  realization  of  the  highest  Good.  John 
came  baptizing  with  water,  but  the  Christ  baptizeth 
with  the  Holy  Ghost.  John  the  Baptist  represents 
that  state  of  consciousness  which  is  still  in  the  letter 
of  the  law,  in  symbolism  ;  the  consciousness  which 
precedes  but  has  not  entered  the  Spiritual  or  Christ 
consciousness. 

The  larger  part  of  the  religious  world  has  stranded 
on  empty  symbolism,  making  the  letter  of  the  law 
the  important  thing  instead  of  the  Spirit.  "  The 
letter  killeth  but  the  Spirit  maketh  alive."  That 
the  spirit  has  been  lost  sight  of,  is  evidenced  by  the 
fact  that  the  observance  of  the  communion,  fasting, 
and  baptism,  has  not  meant  the  healing  of  disease, 
sorrow,  poverty — the  overcoming  of  evil.  The  one 
who  truly  communes,  fasts,  or  is  truly  immersed,  is 


Unity.  123 

lifted  day  by  day.  higher  and  higher  above  sin,  sick- 
ness, sorrow  and  death,  and  is  brought  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  present  realization  of  Divine  Life  which 
is  free  from  all  evil,  fraught  with  all  Good. 

If  your  symbolism  has  not  meant  this  to  you,  it 
has  been  void.  As  we  enter  into  the  Spirit  the 
symbol  is  no  longer  essential.  The  one  who  is 
bound  by  tradition  may  say :  "But  Jesus  commanded 
the  observance  of  these  forms. ' '  Jesus  admonished 
his  disciples  to  use  these  symbols  in  the  same  way 
that  we  give  our  children  picture  books  before  they 
can  read.  The  pictures  express  to  them  the  ideas. 
After  they  learn  to  read  they  no  longer  need  the 
pictures.  Jesus  did  not  command  his  disciples  to 
break  the  bread  and  drink  the  wine,  or  to  be  bap- 
tized, any  more  positively  than  he  did  to  wash  one 
another's  feet,  and  to  take  up  the  cross  daily  and 
follow  him.  There  is  a  sect  that  observe  the  wash- 
ing of  one  another's  feet,  and  if  we  are  to  do  these 
things  merely  because  they  were  commanded,  this 
custom  is  quite  as  essential  as  any  other.  If  we 
are  going  to  take  Jesus  literally  regarding  one  of 
his  commands,  why  should  we  not  do  so  in  regard 
to  all  ?  In  other  words,  if  we  see  that  one  com- 
mand cannot  be  taken  literally,  and  that  it  can 
only  be  observed  in  its  spiritual  significance,  why 
should  we  not  conclude  that  all  are  to  be  taken  in 
the  same  way.  Jesus  said  :  "If  any  man  will  come 
after  me,  let  him  take  up  his  cross  daily  and  follow 


124  Unity. 

me."  This  cannot  be  literally  done  any  more  than 
we  can  literally  partake  of  the  body  and  blood. 
The  taking  up  of  the  cross  daily,  is  the  daily  can- 
celling of  the  false  self,  and  the  following  ' '  Me' ' 
is  the  following  of  the  Christ  Self.  The  washing 
of  one  another's  feet  teaches  the  lesson  of  divine 
humility  and  perfect  equality.  It  was  the  under- 
lying principle  of  all  these  admonitions  that  Jesus 
desired  to  instill  into  the  heart  of  man.  The 
symbolism  of  one  is  no  more  important  than  the 
symbolism  of  another,  and  its  literal  observance  will 
inevitably  pass  away  as  man  comes  into  the  higher 
understanding. 

We  must  cease  to  live  merely  on  the  surface  of 
life,  but  learn  to  look  deep  into  the  heart  of  God, 
and  there  behold  all  things,  not  as  they  seem  to  be, 
but  as  they  are.  Looking  deep  and  long  we  shall 
see  the  self  reflected  there  in  all  its  purity  and  God- 
likeness.  We  shall  see  the  Self  in  God,  God  in 
the  Self,  through  the  awakened  consciousness  ;  the 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost  :  God,  the  Father  ; 
the  Self,  the  Son  ;  the  awakened  consciousness  of 
oneness,  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  in  other  words,  the 
Creator,  the  Creative  Power,  and  Perfected  Crea- 
tion ;  the  Father,  Holy  Ghost  and  Son,  the  three 
in  one.  We  cannot  conceive  of  the  Creator  apart 
from  the  Creative  Power  and  Creation.  Neither 
can  we  conceive  of  the  Creative  Power  apart  from  a 
Creator  and  Creation,  nor  a  Creation  apart  from  a 
Creator  and  Creative  Power. 


Unity.  125 

Know  thyself,  O  mighty  being  that  thou  art,  in 
all  thy  limitless,  boundless  grandeur.  Let  no  pigmy 
trial  bedim  the  glory  of  thy  horizon  which  encircles 
the  universe,  and  speaks  of  Freedom  to  every  soul 
encompassed  therein,  and  holds  it  close  in  perfect 
oneness  with  the  great  heart  of  the  Infinite. 


1 26  Unity. 


STATEM  ENTS. 

I  am  filled  with  the  spirit  of  Divine  Love. 

I  am  quickened  and  vivified  by  the  spirit  of 
Divine  Love. 

I  radiate  Divine  Love. 

I  love  everybody,  and  everybody  loves  me. 

The  love  of  God  is  moving  in  and  through  every 
part  of  my  being,  blessing  me,  healing  me,  and 
giving  me  peace,  now. 

I  am  one  with  the  Christ  in  myself. 

I  am  at  one  with  the  Christ  in  my  neighbor. 

I  am  at  one  with  the  Good  in  everything  and 
everybody . 

I  am  at  one  with  the  universal. 

I  am  at  one  with  God. 


Divine  Satisfaction.  127 


Wesson  3C. 


DIVINE  SATISFACTION. 

Divine  satisfaction  is  the  normal  state  of  the  soul. 
Man  as  he  finds  himself  in  the  world  today,  separate 
from  God,  is  in  an  abnormal  condition.  Until  he 
enters  the  true  life,  and  begins  to  make  his  at-one- 
ment  with  God,  he  goes  about  with  a  soul  hungering 
and  thirsting  after  he  knows  not  what.  He  seeks 
his  satisfaction  first  in  one  external  thing,  and  then 
in  another,  but  he  does  not  find  it.  All  the  mad 
scramble  after  wealth,  personal  love,  fame,  pleasure, 
is  caused  by  the  yearning  of  the  soul  for  true 
satisfaction.  Man  is  ignorant  of  the  source  of  the 
true  substance  that  alone  can  feed  him,  and  is  self- 
deceived,  in  as  much  as  he  thinks  he  can  be  satisfied 
by  sensual  gratification  or  material  acquisition. 
However  much  we  may  have  of  what  the  world  has 
to  offer,  there  is  always  something  lacking.  One 
goal  after  another  is  attained,  only  to  find  some 
other  will-' o-the- wisp  ahead,  luring  us  on  in  quest 
of  the  unattainable  ;  unattainable  because  that  which 
we  really  seek  lies  within,  and  cannot  be  found  in 
any  external  thing. 

Many  dear  ones  are  roaming  over  the  world, 
satiate  with  all  that  money  can  buy,  love  can  offer, 


128  Divine  Satisfaction. 

or  pleasure  give,  yet  filled  with  a  surging  unrest 
that  makes  them  feel  that  life  holds  nothing  worth 
the  effort  of  living.  We  have  been  living  on  the 
sense  plane,  trying  to  satisfy  the  soul  with  all  kinds 
of  sense  gratification.  The  lesson  that  must  inevita- 
bly be  learned,  is  that  the  soul  cannot  be  fed  upon 
the  husks  of  materiality.  Until  we  turn  within,  and 
seek  the  Self  which  alone  can  know  God,  the  one 
Source  of  satisfaction,  life  must  be  fraught  with 
more  or  less  disappointment  and  hardship.  ' '  In 
the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation,  but  be  of  good 
cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world."  What  man  is 
really  seeking  is  God,  and  many  stumbling  on  in 
ignorance  of  what  they  really  want,  go  from  one 
excess  of  sensuality  to  another,  desperately  trying 
to  still  the  inner  craving,  a  craving  which  is  the  cry 
of  the  soul  for  the  living  bread.  ' '  I  am  the  bread 
of  life  ;  he  that  cometh  to  me  shall  never  hunger, 
and  he  that  believeth  on  me  shall  never  thirst." 

All  bondage  to  habits,  such  as  the  use  of  tobacco, 
opiates,  drinking,  or  any  form  of  sense  indulgence,  is 
but  evidence  of  the  great  desire  of  the  soul  to  know 
its  own  divinity.  Instead  of  condemning  the  one 
who  is  thus  deluded  and  enslaved,  speak  the  freeing 
word  :  endeavor  to  awaken  him  to  know  himself. 
Tell  him  that  he  is  a  child  of  pure  Love  ;  that  he 
is  not  self  deceived  ;  that  Divine  Love  fills  and 
satisfies  him.  In  this  way  he  will  be  healed  of  the 
desire  and  set  free.  This  phase  of  soul-healing 


Divine  Satisfaction.  129 

forms  a  large  part  of  the  work  of  the  Truth,  and 
many  pages  might  be  rilled  with  testimonials  of 
people  who  have  been  freed  in  this  way.  A  certain 
young  man  was  healed  from  the  habits  of  swearing, 
smoking,  and  drinking,  by  listening  to  three  lectures 
on  the  Truth.  He  had  been  in  the  habit  of  swear- 
ing in  ordinary  conversation,  and  he  drank  as  a 
matter  of  course.  In  describing  his  experiences, 
he  said  :  "I  suddenly  found  that  I  not  only  did 
not  want  to  swear,  but  that  I  could  not."  The 
desire  to  drink  also  left  him,  without  any  conscious 
effort  on  his  part.  He  seemed  to  be  most  in  bond- 
age to  the  habit  of  smoking.  He  smoked  inces- 
santly, even  getting  up  in  the  night  to  smoke,  but 
after  once  having  the  Word  spoken  for  freedom 
from  this  habit,  he  was  perfectly  healed. 

One  who  had  become  a  slave  to  the  morphine 
habit  was  using  fifty  grains  a  day,  when,  in 
desperation,  he  turned  to  the  Truth.  In  a  week's 
time  he  had  reduced  the  amount  to  three  grains, 
and  in  two  days  more  he  was  healed.  Healing 
came  to  a  man  addicted  to  the  drinking  habit 
through  reading  the  literature  on  the  Truth,  and 
treatment  from  a  distant  healer.  A  man  past  sixty 
years  of  age  became  a  student  of  Truth,  and  realiz- 
ing that  his  soul  was  being  held  in  bondage  by 
smoking  and  drinking,  he  took  the  simple  method 
of  saying  :  ' '  Father,  take  the  appetite. ' '  He  spoke 
in  faith,  and  it  was  done.  He  was  free  from  that 
hour. 


130  Divine  Satisfaction. 

So  long  as  we  keep  the  soul  down  in  the  dark 
cellar  of  materiality,  it  suffers.  It  is  dissatisfied, 
and  longs  to  come  out  into  the  light  of  Love, 
Purity,  Selflessness  and  Godlikeness,  which  is  its 
native  element.  We  need  never  expect  to  be 
satisfied  while  unforgiveness,  selfishness,  fear,  dis- 
trust, condemnation,  or  any  foreign  or  mortal 
attribute  is  harbored  in  the  heart.  Man  innately 
knows  his  divine  nature,  and  he  can  never  rest 
until  he  begins  to  give  it  conscious  recognition. 
From  the  first  glimpse  he  gets  of  his  true  Self, 
there  comes  a  sense  of  peace  and  satisfaction  never 
before  realized.  This  increases  as  he  steadily 
advances  in  the  spiritual  life.  There  is  one  true 
life  to  live,  and  that  is  the  life  consecrated  in 
thought,  word,  and  deed  to  the  Good  ;  the  life 
which  has  for  its  paramount  purpose,  soul  unfold  - 
rnent,  character  building. 

Every  force  in  man  is  divine,  even  that  which 
seems  to  give  impetus  to  evil.  In  our  ignorance 
we  have  wasted  our  life  forces  through  many  false 
channels.  All  the  energy  or  force  that  goes  out  in 
passion  of  any  kind,  in  emotion,  sensuality,  anger, 
fear,  jealousy,  revenge  or  grief,  is  the  Substance  of 
life.  All  our  forces  should  be  consecrated  to  the 
Good,  and  brought  under  perfect  control  of  the 
divine  I  AM.  Self  control  is  the  secret  of  power. 
Man  can  never  be  master  of  his  circumstances,  of 
his  body,  of  his  life,  until  he  is  master  of  himself. 


Divine  Satisfaction.  131 

Through  self  control  or  conservation  of  these  forces 
we  generate  strength,  vitality,  the  very  essence  of 
all  we  need  for  the  accomplishment  of  any  purpose 
in  life.  The  secret  of  Jesus'  power  lay  in  his 
perfect  self  control.  Nothing  could  move  him  from 
his  divine  center.  He  could  not  be  moved  to 
passion  or  emotion  ;  he  could  not  be  moved  to 
anger  or  resentment.  He  was  enabled  to  truly  say 
of  himself:  "The  prince  of  this  world  cometh  and 
finds  nothing  in  me." 

Virtue  was  said  to  go  forth  from  Jesus  to  heal 
those  who  but  touched  the  hem  of  his  garment. 
This  virtue  was  the  conserved  life  or  God  force 
which  belongs  to  us  all,  but  which  we  have  dissi- 
pated through  the  sense  consciousness.  We  have 
strayed  from  the  Father's  house,  and  wasted  our 
substance  in  riotous  thinking.  Every  one  has  his 
own  peculiar  atmosphere,  which  is  colored  by  his 
thoughts  as  they  are  centered  on  good  or  evil.  In 
the  presence  of  some  people  you  feel  a  sense  of 
peace  and  rest,  in  that  of  others  you  feel  wearied. 
In  the  degree  that  we  become  spiritual  in  thought 
do  we  radiate  the  Christ  virtue,  and  our  very 
presence  becomes  strengthening  and  uplifting. 
When  we  have  as  completely  consecrated  every 
thought,  emotion,  desire,  to  God,  as  Jesus  had, 
when  we  have  as  perfect  self  control,  the  same 
virtue  will  go  out  from  each  one  of  us,  and  we 
shall  do  the  works  of  the  master. 


13^  Divine  Satisfaction. 

Solomon  says  :  "A  good  man  shall  be  satisfied 
from  himself."  Man  must  realize  his  own  com- 
pleteness, and  thereby  gain  his  divine  independence. 
It  is  a  delusion  of  the  mortal  that  we  are  dependent 
upon  any  person,  place  or  environment,  for  our 
happiness  or  satisfaction.  The  Source  is  within, 
and  until  we  find  it  there  our  environment  will 
always  seem  to  lack  the  essential  element.  But  as 
we  gain  our  independence  of  externals,  and  seek 
all  happiness  and  peace  in  God,  we  shall  find  that 
our  surroundings  will  adjust  themselves  to  express 
harmony.  Attachment  to  particular  persons,  places 
and  things,  is  one  of  the  errors  that  the  world  calls 
good,  but  which  the  divine  Man  must  overcome. 
Attachment  is  bondage.  The  Spirit  demands  free- 
dom, and  freedom  can  only  be  known  as  one  swings 
out  from  the  particular  into  the  universal.  The 
free  soul  holds  itself  in  a  position  to  give  good  to 
all,  and  to  receive  good  from  all :  to  give  love  to 
all,  and  receive  love  from  all.  When  we  center  our 
love  upon  one,  to  the  exclusion  of  others,  we  are 
adulterating  the  Divine  Love  with  selfishness,  and 
in  this  state  we  can  never  find  true  happiness  or 
satisfaction.  We  must  learn  to  love  without  being 
attached  to  the  object  loved.  So  long  as  we  are 
attached  to  or  dependent  upon  the  person  or  thing 
loved,  our  souls  are  held  in  bondage.  One  thus 
imprisoned  cannot  possibly  enter  into  the  highest 
state.  We  must  be  set  free  from  all  bondage  to 


Divine  Satisfaction.  133 

our  earthly  loves,  and  learn  to  love  the  Lord  our 
God  with  all  our  heart,  soul,  mind  and  strength. 
Having  given  our  love  to  God,  we  shall  find  that, 
for  the  first  time,  we  know  the  true,  satisfying  love, 
not  only  for  those  whom  we  call  our  own,  but 
for  all  people.  Edward  Carpenter  speaks  these 
words  to  those  who  are  ready  to  receive  them  : 
' '  Ah  !  love — having  journeyed  through  all  life, 
having  become  freed  even  from  thee — there  remains 
nothing  glorious  but  thee." 

The  Truth  teaches  us  to  love  without  desire  for 
possession;  to  love  selflessly.  There  is  no  "mine 
and  thine"  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  a  perfectly 
selfless  love  is  the  only  love  that  can  satisfy  the  soul. 

"As  the  disciple  retreats  within  himself,  and 
becomes  self  dependent,  he  finds  himself  more  defi- 
nitely becoming  a  part  of  the  great  tide  of  definite 
thought  and  feeling.  When  he  has  learned  the 
first  lesson,  conquered  the  hunger  of  the  heart,  and 
refused  to  live  on  the  love  of  others,  he  finds  himself 
more  capable  of  inspiring  love. " — Light  on  the  Path. 

We  must  broaden  the  horizon  of  our  love  life 
until,  instead  of  being  centered  upon  the  chosen 
few,  it  shall  embrace  many,  and,  ultimately,  include 
all.  In  learning  the  universal  love  we  do  not  love 
our  dear  ones  less,  but  all  people  more. 

''That  love  for  one  from  which  there  does  not  spring 
Wide  love  for  all,  is  but  a  worthless  thing." 


134  Divine  Satisfaction. 

As  we  realize  the  divine  satisfaction  we  become 
more  childlike  in  our  desires.  Where  we  were 
once  wearied  and  surfeited  we  find  ourselves  inter- 
ested and  delighted.  The  earth  takes  on  the  hue 
of  the  glass  through  which  we  look.  On  days 
when  we  are  happy  and  joyous  all  nature  seems  to 
have  on  a  brighter  dress.  The  sky  seems  bluer 
and  the  sun  brighter,  the  birds  sing  more  sweetly, 
and  people  seem  agreeable  and  kind.  On  days 
when  the  heart  is  full  of  discontent,  the  same  scenes 
pass  unnoticed  and  we  think  everybody  in  the  wrong 
but  ourselves.  If  you  find  yourself  attributing  your 
feeling  of  dissatisfaction  and  unhappiness  to  some 
particular  person  or  external  condition,  immediately 
declare  :  ' '  My  happiness  does  not  depend  upon  any 
person,  place  or  thing  ;  I  draw  all  happiness  from 
within."  If  you  feel  bereft  because  of  separation 
from  some  loved  one,  declare  :  ' '  There  is  no  separa- 
tion in  Divine  Mind.  I  am  at  one  with  the  All 
Good.  The  true  Self  of  my  loved  one  is  with  me 
now.  I  am  perfectly  satisfied. ' ' 

"  Of  thorns  men  do  not  gather  figs."  Out  of  a 
dissatisfied  heart  cannot  grow  satisfactory  condi- 
tions. Look  to  God  for  the  fulfillment  of  your  ideal. 
Expect  all  Good  from  God.  Accept  all  Good  as 
coming  from  the  hand  of  God.  Ask  nothing,  ex- 
pect nothing  of  personality.  ' '  All  that  is  good  in 
man  is  God. "  When  you  have  learned  to  main- 
tain this  attitude,  you  may  find  that  the  personality 


Divine  Satisfaction.  135 

which  formerly  disappointed  you  will  begin  to 
express  your  ideal.  As  we  turn  persistently  to  the 
Christ  within,  those  with  whom  we  are  associated 
show  to  us  a  side  of  their  nature  that  could  be 
revealed  in  no  other  way.  As  we  realize  the  ideal 
within  ourselves,  we  come  in  conscious  touch  with 
the  ideal  in  our  neighbor.  By  seeking  God  within 
as  the  one  Source  of  all  Good,  we  make  it  possible 
for  the  ideal  to  manifest  itself. 

We  should  regard  all  the  relationships  of  life  as 
purely  incidental  to  soul  unfoldment,  and  never  allow 
them  to  bind  or  limit.  No  personality,  however 
near  and  dear,  should  be  allowed  to  stand  between 
us  and  our  soul  ongoing.  ' '  He  that  loveth  father 
and  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me  ;  he 
that  loveth  son  or  daughter  more  than  me  is  not 
worthy  of  me."  No  relationship  should  ever  be 
entered  into  for  its  own  sake  or  for  self  gratification, 
but  only  as  a  means  to  the  one  great  end,  union 
with  God.  "  Whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of 
God  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  my  sister,  and 
mother."  This  is  the  true  attitude  of  mind  to 
be  taken  by  every  disciple  of  Truth. 

God  is  complete,  sexless  being.  God  is  the  Father- 
Mother  Principle  ;  the  male  and  female  perfectly 
blended  in  one.  In  every  man  is  the  latent  woman  ; 
in  every  woman  the  latent  man.  The  work  of 
each  man  is  to  develop  the  feminine  principle 
within  himself,  that,  the  masculine  and  feminine 


156  Divine  Satisfaction. 

may  consciously  become  one.     The  work  of  each 
woman  is  to  develop  the  indwelling  masculine  prin- 
ciple, and  consciously  blend  the  two  in  one.   Sweden- 
borg  says  :   "In  the  masculine  principle,  love  is  in- 
most and  its  covering  is  wisdom  ;  whereas  injthe^ 
feminine  principle,  the  wisdom  of  the  man  is  inmost 
and  its  covering  is  love  ;  so  that  the  man  is  .the. 
wisdom  of  love,  and  the  woman  the  love  ofjhat  . 
wisdom/' 

The  Divine  Man  is  in  the  image  and  likeness  of 
God,  sexless,  satisfied,  complete  in  himself.  "  He 
whose  heart  is  not  attached  to  objects  of  sense  finds 
pleasure  within  himself,  and  through  devotion  united 
with  the  Supreme,  enjoys  imperishable  bliss. " 
Bhagavad  Gita. 


Divine  Satisfaction.  137 


STATEM  EN  TS. 

I  am  complete  and  whole  in  every  part,  the  perfect 
idea  of  God. 

I  am  filled  with  the  love  that  is  God,  and  it 
satisfies  me. 

I  am  divine,  sexless,  complete  being. 

I  am  free  from  all  bondage  to  the  sense  plane. 

I  am  not  dependent  upon  any  person,  place,  or 
thing  for  my  satisfaction. 

I  am  satisfied  within  myself. 

I  am  divine  satisfaction. 

I  am  permeated  in  every  part  of  my  being  by  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

God  is  my  all  in  all. 


138  The  Silence,  or  True  Prayer. 


Wesson 


The  Silence,  or  True  Prayer. 

God  works  in  the  stillness.  Never  in  the  din 
and  confusion  of  mortality  can  we  hope  to  find  God. 
Go  into  the  silence  of  your  own  soul,  and  when  you 
have  stilled  the  senses  and  shut  out  all  thought  of 
evil,  center  your  mind  on  that  which  is  holy  and 
true.  Learn  to  stand  at  the  center  of  your  being, 
and  be  unmoved  by  the  passing  of  the  external 
world. 

Man  needs  to  commune  more  with  his  higher 
Self.  He  needs  to  meditate  more  on  the  things  of 
God.  Everyone  should  set  a  time  apart  each  day 
for  entering  the  silence,  and  filling  his  soul  conscious- 
ness with  thoughts  of  Purity,  Love,  Wisdom,  Truth. 
This  is  as  essential  to  soul  unfoldment  as  the  rain 
and  sunshine  are  to  the  development  of  the  flower. 
In  order  to  know  God  we  must  practice  the  pres- 
ence of  God.  Practicing  the  presence  of  God  is 
thinking  on  the  Good. 

Because  of  our  long  habit  of  false  thinking,  we 
must  be  systematic  and  persistent  in  forming  the 
habit  of  true  thinking.  There  is  nothing  mystical 
or  difficult  to  understand  about  going  into  the 


The  Silence,   or  True  Prayer.  139 

silence.  Go  apart  in  some  quiet  place  where  you 
will  not  be  disturbed.  Go  alone,  or  with  some  one 
who  understands  how  to  co-operate  with  you.  Re- 
lax mentally  and  physically,  and  open  your  heart  to 
receive  the  Good.  Relax  the  body  ;  tense  muscles 
indicate  tensity  of  thought,  and  the  mind  cannot  be 
tense  and  receptive  at  the  same  time.  One  should 
continue  in  this  practice  of  relaxation  until  all  tensity 
is  overcome.  Many  people  go  about  with  tightly 
shut  teeth,  clenched  hands,  and  taut  muscles.  Such 
people  do  not  even  let  go  of  themselves  when  they 
lie  down,  but  hold  themselves  up,  instead  of  resting 
on  the  bed.  This  condition  originates  in  fear, 
anxiety,  or  suppression  of  feeling,  and  the  over- 
coming of  it  is  very  important  to  the  one  who  would 
progress  in  the  spiritual  life. 

Close  your  eyes  when  you  meditate  so  that  your 
mind  will  not  be  distracted  by  external  things  ;  then 
choose  some  statement  of  Truth  and  repeat  it  over 
and  over,  until  it  reveals  its  inner  meaning  to  you. 
In  this  way  you  place  yourself  at  one  with  the  Sub- 
stance of  every  need.  That  which  you  concentrate 
upon  will  become  manifest  in  your  life.  Concen- 
trate on  God  and  the  Good  will  express  Itself. 
You  will  become  like  that  which  you  center  your 
thought  upon.  Think  steadily  of  all  that  makes 
up  the  Divine  Man,  and  you  will  become  the  Divine 
Man.  If  you  are  surrounded  by  inharmonious 
conditions  which  seem  to  hold  you  in  bondage,  do 


14°  The  Silence,  or  True  Prayer. 

not  try  of  yourself  to  adjust  things,  but  trust  the 
great  Law  of  the  Good  to  do  its  perfect  work. 
Know  that  the  first  step  is  to  realize  harmony 
within  your  own  soul.  Go  into  the  silence  ; 
declare  that  you  are  filled  with  the  peace  and  har- 
mony of  God  ;  that  Harmony  is  expressed  in  every 
avenue  of  your  life,  and  you  will  find  that  things 
will  adjust  themselves. 

When  you  require  Wisdom  regarding  any  prob- 
lem which  comes  up  in  your  life,  retire  to  the  still- 
ness, declare  yourself  at  one  with  Divine  Wisdom, 
and  the  knowledge  you  need  will  be  given  you. 

If  you  desire  money  to  meet  a  certain  obligation, 
go  into  the  silence  ;  declare  that  in  Divine  Life 
there  is  no  lack ;  that  God  is  the  omnipresent 
Substance  of  your  every  need,  and  you  will  find 
ways  and  means  opening  to  you  at  just  the  right 
time. 

If  you  find  yourself  entangled  in  some  false 
environment — though  from  your  mortal  standpoint 
you  can  see  no  way  out — declare  there  is  one  law 
working  for  the  highest  Good  of  all  concerned  ; 
that  you  are  free  in  the  freedom  of  the  Spirit ;  and 
thread  by  thread  will  the  knot  disentangle.  Remem  - 
ber  that  there  is  always  a  way  out  of  every  false 
condition,  and  that  through  communion  with  God 
the  way  will  be  revealed  to  you.  When  you  go 
into  the  silence  and  hold  the  Word  in  this  specific 
way,  forces  are  immediately  set  at  work  to  bring 


The  Silence,  or  True  Prayer  141 

about  the  desired  result,  just  as  when  you  plant  a 
seed  in  the  ground  forces  are  set  at  work  to  bring 
the  life  hidden  there  into  manifestation,  according 
to  the  character  of  the  seed. 

Let  us  not,  however,  observe  the  silence  simply 
for  the  adjustment  of  affairs,  but  ever  bear  in  mind 
that  the  paramount  purpose  is  soul  unfoldment. 
False  characteristics  will  present  themselves  to  us 
so  long  as  there  is  any  part  of  the  mortal  left 
unredeemed.  Daily,  hourly  should  we  turn  to  the 
Spirit  to  overcome  them. 

When  you  have  entered  this  holy  of  holies  within 
yourself,  give  recognition  to  all  that  is  embraced  in 
your  divine  nature.  Make  declarations  that  are 
true  of  your  divine  Self,  and  you  will  find  yourself 
each  day  becoming  more  gentle,  more  loving,  more 
patient,  purer,  and  more  selfless.  As  you  give  your- 
self up  to  this  higher  communion,  you  place  your- 
self in  touch  with  all  that  is  grand,  noble,  pure, 
true  and  Godlike  in  the  great  Mind  of  Man.  God 
is  the  Silence  itself.  When  you  go  into  the  Silence 
you  enter  into  God,  and  the  Spirit  permeates  your 
whole  being,  baptizing,  cleansing  you,  making  you 
a  fit  tabernacle  for  the  living  God.  "  Know  ye  not 
that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God  and  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ?' ' 

Through  self  purification  or  regeneration  by  the 
Word  of  God  you  will  become  a  reflector  of  God  ; 
a  radiator  of  God  ;  a  magnet  to  attract  to  you  all 
Good. 


r42  The  Silence,   or  True  Prayer. 

Make  this  time  of  meditation  your  first  considera- 
tion, and  do  not  allow  anything  to  interfere  with  it. 
It  is  of  vital  importance  to  you,  and  when  you  have 
realized  this,  you  will  find  a  way  to  observe  it.  Take 
time  for  meditation  before  you  go  to  your  daily 
work,  and  place  your  mind  in  an  orderly  state. 
Immerse  yourself  in  the  sweet  Spirit  of  Peace,  Love 
and  Harmony,  which  you  will  always  find  in  the 
Silence,  and  everything  during  the  day  will  in  con- 
sequence move  on  smoothly,  and  the  time  spent 
will  be  more  than  regained. 

There  are  many  people  who  carry  the  activities 
of  the  day  into  their  sleeping  hours.  They  add  up 
figures,  sew,  plan,  buy  and  sell,  as  the  case  may  be, 
all  night,  and  awaken  in  the  morning  as  weary  as 
they  were  the  night  before,  because  the  mind  was 
not  at  rest.  This  may  be  avoided,  if,  at  the  end  of 
the  day,  you  spend  at  least  a  few  moments  before 
going  to  sleep,  declaring  that  you  are  Spirit,  resting 
in  the  Love  and  Peace  of  the  Spirit.  Fatigue  is 
really  caused  by  the  state  of  mind,  rather  than  by 
physical  labor.  You  will  become  rested  in  the 
Silence  in  a  much  shorter  time  than  by  the  mere 
cessation  from  work,  or  by  sleeping,  with  the  idea  of 
fatigue  still  retained  in  your  consciousness.  We 
should  give  as  much  time  as  possible  to  this  higher 
communion,  for  upon  it  largely  depends  our  spiritual 
growth.  There  are  those  who  find  it  difficult  to  sit 
still  enough  for  meditation,  and  yet  at  first  more 


The  Silence,   or  True  Prayer.  143 

difficult  to  concentrate.  This  only  shows  how 
great  is  their  need  of  this  practice,  and  such  people 
should  be  especially  diligent  in  its  observance, 
even  if  at  first  it  becomes  a  matter  of  self-discipline. 
If  one  is  faithful  until  this  spirit  of  restlessness  is 
subdued,  he  will  find  that  this  time  of  silent  com- 
munion is  his  greatest  recreation  and  blessing. 

Not  only  should  we  practice  the  presence  of  God 
at  special  times  of  meditation,  but  we  should 
endeavor  at  all  times  to  think  only  on  the  Good. 
In  the  Silence  we  form  the  habit  of  true  thinking, 
and  it  then  becomes  easy  to  carry  it  into  all  the 
activities  of  life. 

Where  formerly  you  thought  at  random,  learn 
to  think  to  a  purpose.  Let  some  Word  of  Truth 
be  the  undercurrent  of  your  thought  wherever  you 
are,  whatever  you  may  be  doing.  In  this  way  you 
will  become  Self  centered,  and  learn  to  be  unmoved 
by  strong  feelings  and  emotions,  or  by  the  disturb- 
ances of  the  external  world. 

Man's  life  is  like  a  lake.  When  it  is  thrown 
into  waves,  and  storm -tossed,  its  reflective  quality 
is  destroyed.  When  it  is  still,  it  becomes  a  perfect 
mirror.  We  must  still  the  emotion-tossed  con- 
sciousness in  order  to  reflect  God.  Remember, 
too,  that  little  ripples  on  the  water  take  away  its 
power  to  reflect,  quite  as  much  as  do  the  greater 
waves.  Preserve  your  equilibrium  through  the 
petty  annoyances  of  the  day,  as  they,  as  well  as  the 


144  The  Silence,  or  True  Prayer. 

more  palpable  errors,  cloud  your  consciousness,  and 
keep  the  Good  from  expressing  itself  in  your  life. 

When  you  find  yourself  becoming  disturbed, 
annoyed,  or  excited  in  any  way,  let  this  statement 
repeat  itself  within  your  consciousness  :  "Be  still, 
and  know  that  I  am  God."  This  is  the  voice  of  the 
Spirit  within  you,  and  as  you  learn  to  hear  it  you 
will  find  that  you  are  able  to  meet  circumstances 
which  have  formerly  seemed  most  trying,  without 
being  at  all  troubled.  Holding  yourself  still,  keep- 
ing yourself  centered  in  the  Good,  is  always  a 
necessary  step  toward  overcoming  any  false  condi- 
tion. Learn  to  overcome  without  being  involved 
in  the  overcoming.  "Fight,  but  be  not  thou  the 
warrior. ' ' 

Habitual  communion  with  God  is  true  prayer. 
Every  aspiration  of  the  soul  is  prayer.  The  prayer 
of  supplication  or  pleading  with  God  for  some  good 
which  He  has  seemed  to  withhold,  is  meaningless 
and  useless.  God  is  not  changeable  and  vacillat- 
ing, therefore  no  amount  of  supplication  will  induce 
Him  to  change  His  mind.  As  God  is  the  Good 
itself,  filling  all  time  and  space,  the  prayer  or  peti- 
tion has  no  intelligent  basis.  Jesus  said  :  ' '  When 
thou  prayest,  thou  shall  not  be  as  the  hypocrites 
are,  for  they  love  to  stand  praying  in  the  synagogues 
and  in  the  corners  of  the  street,  that  they  may  be 
seen  of  men.  But  thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter 
into  the  closet,  and  when  thou  hast  shut  the  door, 


The  Silence,  or  True  Prayer.  145 

pray  to  thy  Father,  which  is  in  secret,  and  thy 
Father  which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward  thee 
manifestly."  "Use  not  vain  repetitions,  as  the 
heathen  do,  for  they  think  that  they  shall  be  heard 
for  their  much  speaking.  Be  not,  therefore,  like 
unto  them,  for  your  Father  knoweth  what  things 
ye  have  need  of  before  ye  ask  Him." 

This  is  but  another  way  of  saying  :  "Go  into  the 
closet  of  your  own,  inner  consciousness,  close  the 
tloor  to  false  thinking,  and  give  full  recognition  to 
the  Good  there  abiding,  and  the  Good  shall  find 
expression  in  your  life."  Jesus  used  the  prayer 
of  acknowledgement,  and  he  never  uttered  a  prayer 
that  was  not  answered.  In  raising  Lazarus  from 
the  tomb,  Jesus  did  not  beseech  God  to  give 
Lazarus  back  to  his  sisters,  he  simply  said  : 
' '  Father  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me, 
and  I  know  that  thou  hearest  me  always."  Then 
he  called  upon  the  divine  One  in  Lazarus  to  come 
forth.  This  was  the  highest  form  of  acknowledge- 
ment of  the  Omnipresent  Life  of  God. 

When  the  disciples  told  Jesus  that  they  must 
have  bread  for  the  multitudes  who  had  followed 
him  into  the  desert,  he  took  no  account  of  the 
appearance  of  lack,  but  replied:  "How  many 
loaves  have  ye?"  Then  he  took  what  they  had, 
blessed  it,  and  gave  thanks.  This  was  the  recogni- 
tion of  the  Omnipresent  substance  of  God. 

Recognition  of  the  Omnipotence  and  Omnipres- 
ence of  the  Good,  is  true  prayer.  The  purpose  of 


146  The  Silente,  or  True  Prayer. 

prayer  is  to  bring  every  soul  into  the  realization  of 
the  Truth  in  Jesus'  statement,  "  I  and  the  Father 
are  one."  Every  act  of  the  soul  that  brings  man 
nearer  to  this  realization  is  prayer,  rich  in  potency 
and  Light.  "Thou  art  the  temple  of  the  living 
God."  Go  into  the  inner  court,  and  there  in  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  in  the  Silence  that  is  God,  thou 
shalt  behold  thyself  reflected  in  His  image. 


The  Silence,  or  True  Prayer.  147 


STA  TEM  ENTS. 

Now  does  the  sweet  Spirit  of  Peace  still  every 
emotion  of  my  soul. 

I  am  divinely  protected  from  all  evil. 

I  rest  secure  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High. 

God  is  my  environment. 

I  now  consciously  live  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

I  am  in  tune  with  the  Infinite. 

I  consecrate  my  love  to  God. 

I  consecrate  my  emotions  to  God. 

I  consecrate  my  desires  to  God. 

I  consecrate  my  intensity  to  God. 

I  consecrate  my  feelings  to  God. 

I  consecrate  my  body  to  God. 

I  consecrate  my  life  to  God. 


148  Hov  to  Heal. 


Wesson 


HOW  TO  HEAL. 

This  lesson  presents  different  methods  of  healing 
that  have  been  proven  good,  and  gives  suggestions 
for  workers. 

To  be  well  grounded  in  Principle  is  the  important 
thing.  The  method  used  in  applying  the  Principle 
is  not  so  essential.  Different  workers  differ  in 
detail  as  to  method,  though  having  the  same  basis 
and  carrying  out  the  same  idea.  One  necessarily 
uses  different  methods  in  meeting  the  great  diver- 
sity of  minds  and  their  needs.  Each  student,  while 
he  will  find  the  experiences  of  others  helpful,  should 
allow  his  own  individuality  full  scope,  for  God  has 
many  modes  of  expression. 

The  term  healing  does  not  refer  alone  to  the 
bringing  forth  of  health  in  the  body,  but  to  the 
establishing  of  a  normal,  healthy  state  of  soul,  body, 
environment  and  estate.  All  true  healing  must 
begin  in  the  soul.  The  object  of  the  spiritual  life  is 
not  to  heal  the  body,  nor  to  bring  about  any  material 
good,  but  it  has  for  its  great  purpose  the  unfolding 
of  the  soul  to  the  full  fruition  of  its  own  Godlike- 
ness.  We  must  seek  the  Truth  for  its  own  sake  ; 


H ow  to  Heal.  149 

Love  for  its  own  sake ;  Purity  for  its  own  sake  ; 
the  Good  for  its  own  sake  ;  and  the  results  must 
necessarily  follow. 

There  are  those  who  seek  merely  the  healing  of 
the  body  and  who  do  not  care  to  know  the  Principle. 
While  they  are  in  this  state  of  mind,  the  healing  is 
often  withheld.  Sometimes  such  people  are  restored 
to  health  by  the  realization  of  the  healer,  but  it 
cannot  endure.  For  one  to  be  permanently  whole, 
happy  or  free,  he  must  know  the  Principle  and  live 
the  Life. 

The  great,  far-reaching  essential  work  is  to  teach, 
and  every  healer  should  be  a  teacher.  Not  only 
should  a  patient  be  healed  of  his  present  disease, 
but  he  should  be  taught  to  be  his  own  physician 
and  to  live  above  disease.  In  all  our  spiritual  work 
we  should  be  careful  not  to  become  entangled  in 
results.  If  we  keep  our  eyes  fixed  upon  the  result 
of  our  work,  our  power  may  be  weakened  by  anxiety 
or  doubt,  or  we  may  be  self-exalted  by  success.  To 
watch  for  results  is  unfaith  ;  to  take  pride  in  our  suc- 
cess, is  claiming  for  self  that  which  belongs  to  God. 

The  faithful  performance  of  the  work  belongs  to 
us,  the  result  to  God,  and  we  must  leave  it  entirely 
to  Him.  We  read  in  the  Bhagavad-Gita  :  "The 
man  who  doeth  that  which  he  hath  to  do,  without 
attachment  to  result,  obtaineth  to  the  Supreme." 

In  all  your  healing  never  take  any  responsibility 
of  your  patient.  Give  it  all  to  God.  Do  not  think 


150  How  to  Heal. 

you  are  burdening  God,  for  Omnipotence  can  know 
no  care.  Never  doubt  the  power  of  your  Word. 
It  is  not  your  Word  but  the  Father's.  Make 
yourself  a  willing  and  pure  avenue  for  infinite  Love, 
Wisdom,  Power  to  work  through,  and  know  that 
this  trinity  is  equal  to  all  thing's.  Your  part  is  to 
absolutely  trust  it.  "  With  God  all  things  are 
possible. ' ' 

Whenever  a  divine  healer  finds  his  work  wearing 
upon  him,  or  having  anything  but  a  salutary  effect, 
it  is  because  he  is  working  more  on  the  mental  than 
on  the  spiritual  plane.  He  is  trying  to  do  the  work 
too  much  of  himself,  instead  of  letting  it  be  done 
by  the  Christ  within.  When  one  is  working  in  the 
highest  way,  he  will  be  quickened  and  uplifted  by 
every  word  of  Truth  he  speaks,  and  the  more  people 
he  heals  the  stronger  spiritually  and  physically 
he  becomes.  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  think  that 
you  cannot  heal.  This  is  denying  your  Christ,  lor 
it  is  the  Christ  in  you  that  heals.  If  you  deny  ihe 
power,  it  will  be  to  you  as  though  it  were  not.  Give 
it  recognition  and  you  will  be  able  to  heal  yourself 
and  others.  Have  faith  in  your  Word,  to  whom- 
ever, or  whatever  it  is  sent,  and  it  will  be  unto  you 
according  to  your  faith.  It  is  not  necessary  for  the 
patient  to  report  all  the  symptoms  of  his  case.  The 
thought  of  both  healer  and  patient  must  be  kept 
upon  health,  not  disease  ;  upon  the  reality,  not  the 
appearance.  Remember  it  is  the  mind  that  needs 


How  to  Heal.  151 

to  be  worked  upon,  not  the  body.  The  cause  is  in 
mind,  so  do  not  try  to  heal  the  body  but  change  the 
mind.  Heal  the  false  thought  that  gave  birth  to 
the  condition  that  is  showing  forth  in  the  body.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  speak  the  Word  for  each  disease 
that  may  be  manifesting  in  the  patient.  All  disease 
is  error,  and  filling  the  soul  with  the  Truth  will  dispel 
the  error,  whatever  name  may  be  given  it.  A  woman 
whom  I  know  was  healed  of  spinal  trouble,  an 
internal  abscess,  creeping  paralysis,  and  physicians 
said  that  every  organ  of  her  body  was  more  or  less 
diseased,  yet  her  healer  knew  of  only  one  of  these 
troubles.  People  are  often  healed  without  ever 
speaking  of  the  nature  of  their  disease  at  all. 

Always,  if  possible,  be  alone  with  your  patient, 
where  you  can  get  control  of  the  thought  atmos- 
phere. Teach  him  from  the  first,  but  be  careful  not 
to  antagonize  him  or  talk  too  much  in  the  absolute. 
Always  invoke  the  Spirit  to  guide  you  and  speak 
through  you,  and  you  will  say  just  the  right  thing 
to  meet  the  present  need. 

After  talking  with  your  patient  as  much  as  for 
the  time  you  think  wise,  ask  him  to  relax,  close  his 
eyes,  and  it  is  usually  best  to  give  him  a  statement 
of  Truth  to  repeat,  while  you  go  into  the  Silence 
and  speak  for  him  the  freeing  Word. 

As  to  the  method  of  healing,  use  your  knowledge 
of  the  correspondences,  or  cause  and  effect,  as  given 
in  the  eighth  lesson.  This  knowledge  will  broaden 


152  How  to  Heal. 

as  you  advance  in  the  Truth.  Your  intuition  will 
be  developed,  and  many  times  by  merely  looking 
into  the  face  of  a  person,  you  will  be  able  to  see 
the  cause  of  the  trouble.  Seeing  the  error  in  con- 
sciousness, annul  it  by  declaring  for  him  the  opposite 
Good,  which  you  know  belongs  to  his  true  Self. 

The  relation  of  the  healer  to  the  patient  is  largely 
that  of  a  father  confessor,  and  should  be  held  sacred. 
If  one  who  is  in  trouble  will  frankly  unburden  himselt 
to  his  healer,  his  need  will  be  more  quickly  reached 
and  overcome.  There  is  a  true  idea  underlying 
confession,  and  in  some  cases  it  is  necessary  to  the 
healing.  If  the  cause  of  the  trouble  is  not  imme- 
diately revealed,  do  not  waste  time  seeking  it,  but 
rather  make  absolute  statements  that  will  cover 
every  need,  such  as  :  "  The  Spirit  of  Christ  within 
you  sets  you  free. "  "  You  are  filled  with  Divine 
Love  and  it  heals  you."  Some  healers  use  this 
method  altogether,  without  reference  to  specific 
cause,  knowing  that  whatever  the  cause,  holding 
one  in  touch  with  the  Spirit  of  God  will  heal. 

There  is  one  way  that  the  body  itself  may  be 
treated  in  accord  with  the  Principle.  The  body  is 
not  matter,  as  the  word  is  commonly  interpreted, 
but  a  low  order  of  consciousness.  Every  organ  of 
the  body  is  composed  of  cells,  and  it  is  now  an 
acknowledged  fact  that  every  cell  has  a  center  of 
intelligence.  Prof.  Virchow,  the  great  German 
biologist,  and  a  leader  in  medical  science,  is  quoted 


How  to  Heal.  153 

as  making  the  statement  :  "  The  life  of  an  organ  is 
the  sum  of  all  the  lives  of  the  single  cells,  and  each 
cell  is  an  independent,  living  being."  Talk  to  the 
consciousness  of  any  organ  of  your  body  as  you 
would  talk  to  a  person,  telling  it  the  truth  about 
itself,  and  quickening  it  by  the  Spirit.  For  example, 
if  you  have  a  pain  in  your  heart,  go  right  there 
with  your  thought  and  speak  to  it,  not  as  an  organ 
but  a  state  of  consciousness,  and  say  :  "You  are 
willing  to  yield  yourself  to  the  Love  of  God  ;  Love 
brings  you  peace  and  heals  you.  Supposing  there 
is  a  tumor  growing  somewhere  in  the  body  ; 
regarding  it  as  a  darkened  consciousness,  say  to  it  : 
''All  error  within  you  is  consumed  by  Divine  Love. 
You  are  cleansed  and  purified  by  the  Spirit."  The 
life  in  you  is  the  Life  of  God,  and  you  are  willing  to 
manifest  it. 

Your  soul  is  not  located  in  any  particular  place, 
but  permeates  every  part  of  your  body,  therefore 
the  uplifting  of  your  soul  is  the  spiritualizing  of 
your  body. 

A  most  potent  method  of  healing  is  to  simply 
repeat  the  name  Jesus  Christ.  Use  the  word  apart 
from  the  personality  of  the  man  Jesus.  Use  it  in 
its  highest  significance,  "  manifest  Spirit  of  God." 
This  name  has  stood  to  represent  all  that  is  Godlike 
for  many  centuries,  and  the  Spirit  in  it  is  almighty 
in  its  healing  power.  Center  these  Words,  Jesus 
Christ,  in  any  part  of  the  body  or  environment  that 


154  How  to  Heal. 

is  not  manifesting  the  Good,  and  the  error  will  be 
overcome.  A  healing  and  uplifting  practice  is  to 
speak  the  Word  Jesus  Christ  in  every  part  of  the 
body,  beginning  at  the  crown  of  the  head  and  going 
to  the  soles  of  the  feet.  Pass  the  Word  through 
the  whole  being,  as  you  would  take  a  light  into  the 
darkness. 

There  are  those  who  do  good  healing  by  repeat- 
ing the  Lord's  prayer,  carrying  in  mind  the  spiritual 
significance  of  each  statement  and  applying  it  to 
the  need.  In  the  Lord's  prayer  is  contained  the 
fulfillment  of  every  need  of  the  human  heart,  and  if 
you  will  meditate  upon  it  until  the  Spirit  interprets 
its  deeper  meaning  to  you,  you  will  receive  a  great 
blessing  therefrom,  and  be  able  to  use  it  to  bless 
others. 

If  one  has  brought  himself  into  a  high  realization 
of  Divine  Love,  he  may  sit  down  before  his  patient, 
and  by  force  of  the  great  God- Love  that  wells  up 
within  him,  and  flows  forth  from  him,  he  may  heal 
without  formulating  a  single  thought.  The  aura  of 
one  who  is  living  a  consecrated  life  is  healing,  and 
there  are  those  who  go  into  the  Silence  with  the 
patient  and  by  simply  realizing  that  God  is  All,  the 
work  is  accomplished. 

The  laying  on  of  hands,  many  times  is  quickly 
and  markably  effective.  When  one  feels  especially 
led  by  the  Spirit  to  do  so,  it  is  good  to  heal  by 
laying  on  hands.  One  should  wait,  however,  for 


How  to  Heal.  155 

positive  leading,  before  pursuing  this  method.  I 
personally  know  a  woman  who  fell  and  injured 
herself  so  that  one  of  her  ribs  was  sprung  out  of 
place.  For  nine  years  she  was  in  this  condition, 
and  during  that  time  suffered  great  pain  in  her  side, 
and  had  never  been  able  to  lift  her  arm  above  her 
head.  She  was  treated  by  the  laying  on  of  hands, 
and  the  realization  of  the  Word  Jesus  Christ.  The 
rib  has  sprung  back  into  place,  the  soreness  has 
gone,  and  she  has  perfect  freedom  in  the  use  of 
her  arm.  The  more  consecrated  one  is,  the  more 
spiritual  he  becomes,  the  more  conscious  he  is  of 
the  Spirit  permeating  every  part  of  his  organism, 
the  greater  virtue  will  he  emit  from  his  touch. 

The  word  of  Truth  may  be  sent  to  people  at  a 
distance,  and  be  quite  as  effective  as  when  the  patient 
is  present.  Wherever  the  thought  can  go,  the 
Omnipresent  Power  of  God  can  be  called  into 
activity.  The  only  difference  between  the  present 
and  absent  speaking  of  the  Word  is,  that  the  faith 
of  the  patient  may  be  greater  when  face  to  face 
with  the  healer,  and  more  perfect  co-operation  of 
thought  may  be  established.  But  these  things  being 
equal,  the  distance  itself  is  no  obstacle.  When 
you  have  occasion  to  speak  the  Word  for  an  absent 
patient,  it  is  well  to  set  a  corresponding  time  for 
both  to  be  in  the  silence. 

Always  remember  that  the  now  is  the  accepted 
time.  Never  put  the  manifestation  of  the  Good  off 


156  How  to  Heal. 

into  the  future.  If  you  think  of  your  Health,  Love, 
Prosperity,  Satisfaction,  as  coming  to  you  at  some 
future  time,  you  will  keep  it  in  the  future.  Take 
the  attitude  that  all  things  are  now  complete  and 
finished  in  God.  In  this  way  you  make  it  possible 
for  your  good  at  any  moment  to  manifest  itself. 

In  meeting  the  needs  of  people,  be  careful  not  to 
allow  your  sympathies  to  be  drawn  upon,  for  in  so 
doing  you  will  exhaust  yourself  and  destroy  your 
helpfulness  to  them.  Human  sympathy  is  recogni- 
tion of  evil,  and  is  an  added  burden  to  the  sufferer. 
Never  say  you  are  sorry  for  one,  or  pity  him  in  any 
way.  On  the  other  hand,  this  must  not  offer  an 
excuse  for  being  cold  or  indifferent  to  the  sufferings 
of  others.  There  is  a  divine  compassion  which  is 
of  the  Spirit,  and  should  be  felt  by  all.  Lend  a 
willing  ear  and  a  helping  hand,  prompted  by  a  heart 
full  of  Love,  and  no  one  will  feel  the  lack  of  your 
sympathy.  It  your  neighbor  fell  into  a  ditch,  you 
would  not  sit  down  on  the  bank  and  bemoan  his 
fate.  You  would  give  him  your  hand  and  pull  him 
out.  If  your  neighbor  falls  into  the  slough  of 
despond,  do  not  weep  with  him,  but  lift  him  up  by 
your  recognition  of  the  unreality  of  the  evil  which 
seems  to  surround  him,  and  the  Omnipotence  of  the 
Good  to  set  him  free.  When  people  are  pouring 
forth  their  troubles,  deny  them,  declare  that  only 
the  Good  is  true,  and  you  will  bring  them  a  sense 
of  freedom  and  be  blessed  yourself. 


How  to  Heal.  157 

Never  impose  your  ideas  upon  people  who  are 
not  ready  to  receive  them.  "  Cast  not  your  pearls 
before  swine."  Many  enthusiasts  make  the  mistake 
of  urging  their  loved  ones  to  accept  the  Truth,  and 
of  arguing  with  unbelievers.  They  learn  many 
times  by  bitter  experience  that  this  is  not  the  wisest 
course,  nor  the  way  of  the  Spirit.  The  Spirit  gives 
everyone  his  perfect  freedom  of  thought  and  action. 
The  Spirit  does  not  need  to  argue.  It  is  what  it  is, 
and  simply  radiates  Itself.  You  cannot  feed  a  man 
who  is  not  hungry.  After  presenting  the  Truth 
and  letting  its  blessings  be  known,  if  it  is  rejected 
the  one  who  is  wise  will  drop  the  subject,  and  go  on 
quietly  living  his  principle.  His  life  then  becomes 
a  more  eloquent  sermon  than  could  possibly  be  put 
into  words. 

Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  telling  people  who 
do  not  understand,  that  they  are  not  sick  when  they 
think  they  are,  or  that  they  have  no  pain  when  they 
say  they  have,  or  that  they  look  well  when  suffering 
is  written  on  every  line  of  the  face.  This  only 
serves  to  arouse  opposition,  and  does  more  harm 
than  good.  Speak  your  words  of  Truth  silently  to 
the  uninitiated,  and  use  divine  judgment  in  present- 
ing the  Principle. 

In  pursuance  of  your  study  of  the  Principle,  do 
not  expect  to  grasp  the  whole  Truth  in  a  day.  We 
grow  into  the  knowledge  of  the  Truth  only  as  we 
live  the  Christ  life. 


158  How  to  Heal. 

These  lessons  should  be  carefully  studied  and 
meditated  upon.  Do  not  reject  that  which  you  do 
not  understand.  Take  the  blessing  from  that  which 
appeals  to  you  as  true,  at  this  time.  A  Truth  which 
you  refuse  today  you  will  accept  tomorrow.  That 
which  is  not  true  you  will  never  be  called  upon  to 
accept ;  that  which  is  true  will  reveal  itself  to  you 
when  you  are  ready  to  receive  it. 

"Go  ye  forth  and  be  doers  of  the  Word,  not 
hearers,  only."  Our  knowledge  of  Truth  must 
always  be  measured  by  our  power  to  demonstrate 
it.  Only  as  you  carry  the  practice  of  the  Principle 
into  all  the  affairs  of  your  daily  life,  can  you  know 
its  blessings. 

You  are  not  a  slave,  you  are  a  master.  The 
almighty  Power  of  God  is  within  you  :  the  Power 
that  shall  overcome  all  evil.  You  are  the  bread  of 
Life,  upon  which  the  nations  shall  feed.  You  are 
the  Light  of  the  world,  which  shall  dissipate  all 
darkness.  You  are  the  Beloved  of  the  Father,  in 
whom  He  is  well  pleased.  You  are  the  One  of 
whom  the  Spirit  through  Paul  spoke  these  words  : 
"He  must  reign  until  he  hath  put  all  enemies  under 
his  feet."  And  when  all  things  shall  be  subdued 
unto  him,  then  shall  the  Son  also  be  subject  unto 
Him  that  put  all  things  under  him,  that  GOD  MAY 
BE  ALL  IN  ALL. 


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